> "Ah, I see. Well, I suppose there is little reason to speak the language of the mainland here."
>"Just so," says Sakuya as you approach another door at the top of the stairway.
>She leads you out into another corridor, this one much like the prior one, but dominated by a suit of metallic armor arranged to appear as though it were a guard standing with its hands folded over the hilt of a curious straight-bladed sword in front of it. She takes you to a small door, and holds it open for you.
>Inside is a fairly high-vaulted room with a crystalline chandelier dangling from the ceiling. A large carpet takes up much of the floor, bearing a kind of wheeled design cut into fragments, each fragment bearing a summery scene within it, and scrollwork filling the empty spaces. A fireplace stands against the wall, unlit and covered. The windows are obscured by thick velvety curtains, which have been drawn shut. Delicate-looking chairs with large cushions are gathered around a marble table covered with golden scrollwork, while smaller stools dot the wall, along with a large wooden cabinet. A petite-looking youkai sits in one of the chairs, wearing a simple pink dress and a matching mob cap, leathery wings extending from her shoulders and demurely mantled around her. At her side is a tall green-haired woman in a maid's uniform like Sakuya's, save for a shawl that is mantled around her arms and floats around her, wearing a serene expression on her face. Could she be a celestial? A tea set rests on the table.
>"You may go, Amaya," says the youkai. The green-haired woman nods and excuses herself without a world, as Sakuya moves to take her place. Then the youkai looks to you gives a smile, slightly exposing her teeth, which seem to be a bit sharper than a human's. "Welcome, Empress," she says. "Please have a seat. We've been waiting for you."
>_
