for @finnuf
truth be told, it had been rather against the matriarch's own wishes that ziyu was some way, in one form or the other, escaping from familial influence by heading towards podakko.
naturally, there had been a reasonable explanation that ziyu had managed to use to silence the other elders (mainly the idea of a growing influence in podakko appealed to them, even if she was intending to take it slow), and in turn make them support her in her endeavor after give or take a few years of stagnancy.
needless to say, the people that they had purposely sent along with her weren’t necessarily...great for any particular expeditions. most, if not all of the shangguan family were great diplomats, but their recently filled bellies from being at some form of peace had made the younger generation slack a little in their training. especially after ziyu had been announced as a swordmaster.
a soft exhale parted her lips as her fingers clutched the sheathed body of her sword--the familiar weight in her hand as she turned it over and over in her hands. it had been more of a ritual for her ever since the night her fiance died, the fact that she kept so close to her person the reminder of what made her sins currently a self-inflicting punishment that she had brought upon herself.
it had taken months for her to get past the traumatic flashes of that night as soon as she grasped the pommel of her sword...and then just as she thought she might have learnt to accept her sins and live her rest of her life as an heir in mediocracy--she had broken through to the next level, and had become a swordmaster.
it was as though life had decided to punish her by rewarding her instead. ziyu’s lips pursed as the carriage came to a sudden stop, brows lightly knitting as the familiar sounds of bustling livelihoods flooded into her ears.
at the very least, no matter where she went--the sound of citizens happily finding their livelihoods wherever that they possibly could still sent a soothing tremor through her body, and ziyu visibly relaxed.
“ where to next, my lady?” if ziyu was being honest, when she had first received information and reports about podakko, a particular person had caught her eye. to say that she was here for them wouldn’t be short of an understatement. ziyu’s hand rested lightly against the pommel of her sword as she sighed, noting how stiff some of the young trainees of their house were--whether it from nerves or from fatigue, they still couldn’t conceal their wolfish excitement to explore (she noticed the way that one of trainees’ eyes flickered towards the fighting arena. was he the second son of one of the more power-hungry elders? ziyu quickly made a mental note, before turning back to her assistant.)
“ i will be making a move first. all of you are to go and settle yourselves. however you wish to do so, i don’t care. as long as you don’t bring trouble for the family whilst doing so.” ignoring the protests of her comrades, she quickly turned on her heels, vanishing into the crowd as she made her way towards where she had last heard of the location of her person of interest.
kim finnian. or rather, as per her sources said, finnian von lucinier. priorly margrave of etila.
as sad as the fall of etila was, there was a minute thing that ziyu had regretted, ever so slightly with regards to its war--and it was the fact that she couldn’t make a move and involve herself in etila’s war.
there were too many variables to consider then: whether any action on their part would result in dragging ganggyn unfavourably into a war they didn’t wish for, or if it would implicate matters for their family...things like that. in the end, ziyu had compromised. as she always did.
it didn’t matter if kim finnian was a dangerous subject, considering his affliations to etila, or his prior occupation--he was useful, in many ways that ziyu had felt would be useful perhaps in this journey of hers to setting up base in podakko. and besides, she was interested in seeing who this margrave was, who she believed had a rather similar experience to her own.
she grimaced at the thought, filing it back and away in the back of her mind as she strode into the fighting arena.
“is kim finnian here?” her long lashed eyes swept over the crowd of sweating men, her elegant dressing and beautiful sword strapped to her side rather out of place in somewhere so distinctly bloody and dirty. “i’d like to employ him for something. at least, i heard he does good protection work.” her voice took on a slightly frosty edge as some of the men leered at her, her stance firm in the ground. “kim finnian?” she called out, trying once more, tiptoeing slightly on the balls of her feet as she tried to peer past the looming men and into the ring (goddamn her height during times like these). “i’d like to employ you for your skills!”
