Private Talking Tech w/Junko

[Latyuo Shuy]

Location: Chitai | Atrisian Commonwealth
Tags: Junko Ike

”Seventy-two??” I questioned very loudly again forgetting the age of the Empress. Still, even for someone who was very much looking forward to having a family life, I was absolutely gobsmacked by the thought of having seventy-two children. The trend of Atrisian “royalty” with fiercely loyal servants seemed to continue with the Chi-oni, or perhaps it started here as I thought it over. The Chi-oni were here for the beginning; perhaps these ravens and cranes were the beginnings of what would become Junko’s handmaidens and likely other groups of servants and bodyguards serving the Commonwealth’s elite.

”Those who are chosen to serve royalty here are quite lucky,” I responded quite absent-mindedly to the comment of producing heirs who would be eligible to hold high standing positions in the future. I would gladly be Junko’s raven or crane. Though I suspected there were more than seven more qualified for such a position than I was. The thought of being teleported to the moon was fascinating, but also a little bit scary. As we closed the distance to the portal I reached out and took Junko’s hand into my own, giving hers a bit of a squeeze for comfort. I had complete faith the Princess would not knowingly lead me into danger, but still, the unknown can be daunting. ”The whole of Atrisia has been filled with wonders as far as I’m concerned. If you find this place exceptional Princess, I am sure to be awed…”

My gaze followed Junko’s hand and I saw the line of fruit trees. At the mention of fortune and immortality I squeezed Junko’s hand once more. ”The promise of good fortune would be essential to accepting immortality I would think. Even still, part of that good fortune would need to include the ones I love to share in the fruits and their gifts. Is the produce how the Atrisians stay so fit and beautiful?”

 

[Junko Ike]

Latyuo Shuy

She snickered a little and took her hand.. the surprise on Latyuos face at the number of the empresses children was well she wasn't surprised at it if only because saying that was expected."THe peaches produced are ifnused with the force and renew the body... but it is a half life. The more of them you eat the more you need to consume eventually... which means you can't go off world. Immortality or at least the longest lives has a price." She said it and the teleportal was open as she led the way through with Kirano. THe other side opening into a palace as Pellu laid out before... the surface of the hollow worlds interior there. "Pellu is a wonder to itself... Chitai is a world within a world... formed from a hollow shell with a center of gas and light... Pellu is a moon that orrbits within Atrrisia itself." She said it while looking out one of the windows of the palace they were in. "That is where we aare going." Kirano said it and pointed. "The mountain of fruit and flowers where the first empress and emperor of chitai were born from heaven and earth."

 

[Latyuo Shuy]

Location: Portal to Pella | Chitai | Atrisian Commonwealth
Tags: Junko Ike

I was grateful for the comfort of Junko’s touch. The laugh made me blush just a little. I wondered if others knew what to expect, or if I was the only one who quickly forgot the age of the Empress upon hearing the number of offspring she had. Thankfully the subject switched to the peaches and life eternal before I could put too much thought into seventy-two children. ”There would be worse places to be stuck or eternity,” I responded with a small smile ”Though I’m wondering how much of eating an excess of fruit would go quickly to my thighs and make me grotesquely obese. I’m sure the Chi-oni have wonderful metabolisms.”

With Junko’s hand in mine and a bit of a clenching of my jaw, I managed to step forward and through the unknown portal to Pella. I listened intently to the description of Chitai and Pella. I didn’t understand how such a thing was possible, but at the same time I didn’t doubt anything was indeed possible when it came to Atrisia. ”More fruit,” I said with a smirk. ”So we know where we are heading. Do we know what we are looking for?”

 

[Junko Ike]

Latyuo Shuy

"There is an idea of where we are heading... not entirely THe mountain has a name and stories about it. The stone eggs on it were said in ancient legends to have birthed various gods that were later consolidated into the gods and goddesses of Atrisia. Another mountain range here was from tales where the gods pinned one of the earliest emperesses." She said it and Kirano was walking. "We spread many stories to the surface.. it kept them worshipping us as the old gods of the earth and they would sacrifice food, people, riches. We could bring them down to be here with us and for a time it was quite interesting but even with time unable to be measured down here things do more forward towards progress and once we realized that the surface had the means to get down here.... my mother changed tact."

Kirano was leading the way out of the palace and there were more people. More Chi_oni but their style of dress was different. Silk skirts and tops... theirr hair in ornate designs and piercings. Golden and crystal rings in their ears and nose. Armlets and anklets. One of them sitting there with her legs crossed and adorned with jewels. "The Priestess Sobodhi, considered one of the wisest among her people." Kirano said it and set out some offerings to a bowl. Food, jewels and other smaller things were there. The bowl being filled by others and Junko bowed her head. An airship that they would be able to use was prepared here and it was smaller then the royal one but still had a deck several people could walk on and move around with. The surface of Pellu covered in fog and mists making it look more like a mountain top above the clouds.

 

[Latyuo Shuy]

Location: Pellu | Chitai | Atrisian Commonwealth
Tags: Junko Ike

I should have known that we had a direction more than specific destination. The idea of gods and goddesses born of eggs was something that I would have considered crazy in my youth on Mirial, but now I take it as unique storytelling at the least and in some cases I think that the subjects were less gods than superior beings. It was a far cry from the Cosmic Force that my species as whole believed in. In the end I always found these origin stories much more interesting than the mystic destiny that Mirialans believed in. I continued to listen as I walked behind Kirano and beside the Princess. With us safely through the portal I grudgingly removed my hand from Junko’s. Didn’t want to seem too scared or needy. ”It must have been quite interesting to be thought of as a goddess. Though, I’m not sure that I could hand people being sacrificed in my name…” Having riches and food supplied by a worshiping people wouldn’t have been something I would complain about though. ”So did you know what it was like to be a goddess? Or had your mother changed tact before you were born?”

I took in the sights of the palace as we made our way through it. Both the decor and design of the building itself as well as the people within it. When a particularly striking woman was pointed out as a priestess I wondered if all those present were clergy of some sort. I followed Junko’s actions, bowing my head as well in note of the woman’s wisdom. If I had brought anything to offer I would have. But, that might not have been proper for an outsider. It was probably a good thing that I didn’t have the option. ”Ooh another airship. Is it relatively the same as the royal airship?” I couldn’t help but get excited about machines. I wanted to learn as much as I could about what was here in the Commonwealth.

 

[Junko Ike]

Latyuo Shuy

"I was never a goddess, not in the way you might be thinking. We manipulated, played on their fears and desires... to get them to serve us without knowing it. The surface world was just another layer of slaves to most Chi-oni." Kirano shrugged as the priestess was sitting there and raised an eyebrow but she only offered a smile. "You are heading to the mountain of fruit and flowers, where the ancestors walked." She remained there and Junko nodded. THe airship she looked at Latyuo. "It is mostly the same... smaller and less weapons but made getting across Pellu and in some places of Chitai much quicker." SHe said it while looking at the woman who had spoken and offered a few crystals. "Many thanks, the oldest places were measured by the ancestors was not simply distance traveled but in the measure of a person. ONe hundred and eight thousand steps from any temple."

 

[Latyuo Shuy]

Location: Pella | Chitai | Atrisian Commonwealth
Tags: Junko Ike

Kirano was quick to say she was not a goddess. A fact that I knew was the truth. She was a long lived woman who knew things that others did not, used that knowledge to play upon the ignorance of others. I couldn’t be too harsh in my judgment of the Chi-oni. That Kirano knew she was not a goddess, didn’t mean that she was not treated as one, which I guessed had been the case in the past, but that was something that Kirano may not like any more. So I didn’t push the issue any further.

Focus turned to the priestess’ for information on their destination and the princess for information on the airship. As I suspected the airship was going to be pretty similar to the one that I had been on previously. ”Well I’m sure it will be a fun trip even if it won’t be incredibly new.” I responded with a smile. As Junko thanked the priestess I wondered if the closing sentence was some Chi-oni phrase. ”One hundred and eight steps…That doesn’t seem so long…”

 

[Junko Ike]

Latyuo Shuy

"Thousand." Kirano corrected her as she was pointing. "ONe hundred and eight thousand steps. Roughly eighty six kilometers." KIrano said it with a look on her face but she was moving around and prepared for anything that might be there. THere were more people on the airship as they bowed low. KIrano leading the way for Junko and Latyuo as she offered an area to sit. Looking out over everything gave a chance to see the deeper valleys, fields and spires of the temples. Bleached white eggs that were massive scattered before larger spires were all around the mountains. "Rukh eggs, good for food, better as clothing and equipment." Kirano said it as she looked. "There are other things here... things that we kept from the surface. For good and bad... don't be surprised if a few shock you."