Dev Shadows of Atrisia

[Junko Ike]

She approached the palace's eastern wing, the structure growing larger with each step until its white stone exterior filled her field of view. The stone caught the dying light and reflected it in faint waves, the surface having been polished to a subtle sheen that made the entire structure appear to breathe as if the walls themselves expanded and contracted with the sunset's shifting hues. Intricate carvings along the lower walls, running in a continuous frieze that wrapped the entire wing at knee height, depicted onna-bugeisha leading charges under moonlit skies: formations of women in layered armor, their katana raised, their faces carved in profile with expressions of calm determination.

The gemstone inlays that formed their eyes and the stars above them tiny chips of lapis lazuli, moonstone, and white jade caught the fading light and winked like distant stars awakening in a twilight sky. Junko passed beneath an arched gateway framed by living wisteria, the vines trained over a cedar trellis so old that the wood had turned silver-gray and the trunk of the oldest vine was as thick as her thigh. The purple clusters of blossoms hung heavy with scent, each cluster a cascade of individual flowers that brushed her shoulders as she passed, releasing their fragrance in a fresh wave. Beyond the arch, she entered the quieter corridors reserved for her personal quarters.

 

[Junko Ike]

Here the black ebony walls, polished to a mirror finish, glowed softly with their aurodium veins thin traceries of gold that ran through the dark wood like lightning frozen in stone, pulsing in a slow, regular rhythm like a heartbeat, the light waxing and waning in a cycle that matched no clock but seemed to respond to the presence of living beings within the walls. Hidden chimes, their source concealed somewhere in the vaulted ceiling, sounded once a single low, resonant note that vibrated through the soles of her feet as though the palace itself acknowledged her return, a sentient house welcoming its occupant home.

She moved through a series of antechambers, each one smaller and more private than the last, the progression designed to gradually separate the ruler from the public spaces of governance. In alcoves set into the walls at regular intervals, sacred trees grew from carved stone planters, their roots visible through transparent panels of crystal that showed the soil beneath. One bore crystalline pears that glowed with a soft golden light, their facets catching the illumination and scattering it across the polished floors in tiny rainbows. Another held apples that pulsed with a gentle blue-white luminescence, their surfaces smooth as glass and cool to the touch.

 

[Junko Ike]

The prismatic light cast by these trees was the only illumination in the antechambers, and it shifted subtly as Junko passed, the fruits seeming to brighten in acknowledgment of her presence. Attendants had already prepared the path: low braziers of cast bronze, each one shaped like a crouching kirin with smoke curling from its open mouth, burned with sandalwood and myrrh, releasing thin curls of fragrant smoke that drifted upward in lazy spirals to mingle with the ceiling's painted constellations a map of the Atrisian night sky rendered in gold leaf and powdered lapis on the dark plaster overhead. Junko's steps slowed as she neared the innermost chamber, the bedchamber itself.

The door was a single slab of ebony inlaid with aurodium in the pattern of a flowering cherry branch, and it swung open silently at her approach, propelled by a mechanism hidden in the frame. Beyond it lay a spacious room whose ceiling rose in a shallow dome of translucent alabaster, thin enough that the last of the twilight filtered through in pale lavender tones, bathing the entire space in a soft, diffuse light that seemed to come from no single direction.

 

[Junko Ike]

The bed dominated the center of the room: an immense platform of dark ebony, its grain visible beneath a high polish, raised on a low dais of three steps also covered in ebony. It was draped in layers of silk bedding the color of midnight sky a deep blue so dark it read as black in low light, but which revealed its true hue when struck by candleflame. The edges of the bedding were trimmed with silver thread in a pattern of interlocking hexagons, each one no larger than a thumbnail, the stitching so fine it seemed to have been done by machinery rather than hands. Pillows of deep indigo and pale jade were arranged in careful abundance, perhaps a dozen in total, of varying sizes and shapes some rectangular for support, others round and softer for cradling the head, a few small and cylindrical for placement beneath the knees or ankles.

Sheer canopy curtains of gossamer white, so fine they were nearly transparent, hung from carved posts at the four corners of the dais, each post shaped like a coiling dragon with scales rendered in low relief and eyes of inlaid peridot that gleamed in the candlelight. At each side of the dais stood two tall lacquered screens, their surfaces painted with scenes of warrior women in flowing robes, katana drawn, faces fierce yet serene, cherry blossoms falling around them as they fought a visual echo of the garden outside. Candles of beeswax, each one as thick as Junko's wrist, burned steadily in bronze holders shaped like lotus buds set on low stands around the perimeter of the room, their flames steady and golden, the air faintly sweet with the scent of honey.

 

[Junko Ike]

Two onna-bugeisha waited beside the bed, already at attention, their postures identical down to the angle of their feet on the obsidian floor. They were among Junko's most trusted guard twin sisters trained from childhood in the arts of blade and loyalty, their lives having been pledged to her protection before they had reached adolescence. Both wore simple yet elegant sleeping attire: black silk kimono, the fabric so dark it absorbed light, patterned with faint crimson cherry blossoms scattered across the sleeves and hem as if a breeze had just blown them there. Their sashes, of a slightly lighter black with a subtle sheen, were tied in precise knots at the waist, the ends hanging in equal lengths down their left hips.

Their long black hair, identical in length and texture, was bound in high traditional knots secured with lacquered kanzashi pins shaped like miniature tachi blades actual steel, sharpened at the edges, functional as weapons though small. A few strands had loosened during the day's watch, escaping the confines of the knots to frame their sharp, identical features: high cheekbones, narrow jaws, mouths that rested in neutral lines but could curve into identical smiles on the rare occasions when they chose to show amusement.

 

[Junko Ike]

Pale makeup a white base of rice powder applied with a light hand accentuated their eyes, the kohl lining the lids extending in subtle wings at the outer corners, and their lips, painted a deep crimson that matched the cherry blossoms on their kimono. The effect gave them an almost otherworldly intensity even in repose, like spirits of protection given human form. Their katana rested within easy reach on low stands of dark wood beside the bed, the hilts wrapped in black silk cord in a diamond pattern over rayskin, the sheaths of deeply lacquered black wood gleaming faintly in the candlelight, unadorned except for small silver inlays near the throat that marked them as blades of the household guard.

The first sister, Rei, stepped forward as Junko entered, her movement a single fluid stride that brought her to precisely the correct distance for a formal bow. She bowed deeply from the waist, her back remaining straight, her eyes lowering but not closing a guard's bow, always maintaining peripheral awareness. "The day has been long, my lady. We stand ready." Her voice was low and calm, each word enunciated clearly but without emphasis, carrying the quiet assurance of one who had faced death many times without flinching and had learned that fear was a luxury that could cost seconds.

 

[Junko Ike]

Beside her, Kai who had waited a precise half-beat before moving, so that their bows would not be perfectly simultaneous, a subtle distinction that allowed them to be seen as individuals mirrored the bow, her gaze lifting only after the gesture was complete, her dark eyes meeting Junko's for a brief moment of acknowledgment. "The palace sleeps secure. No shadow moves without our knowing." Her voice was nearly identical to her sister's, the same pitch and cadence, distinguishable only by a slightly softer timbre at the end of her sentences.

Their movements, though not simultaneous, were synchronized in a deeper sense a testament to years spent fighting and training as one, their bodies knowing each other's positions and intentions without the need for signals or words. Junko offered them a small smile, the expression reaching her eyes and softening the fatigue that had settled into the muscles of her face over the long day. She slipped the jade robe from her shoulders, the silk whispering against her skin as it fell away, and folded it once a clean, sharp crease before placing it on a nearby cedar chest whose lid was carved with a relief of the Isle of the Hidden's mountain profile.

 

[Junko Ike]

Beneath she wore only the cream linen shift, the fabric so fine it was nearly translucent in the candlelight, faintly damp across the shoulders and back from the pool's mist. The dampness had cooled during the walk and now felt pleasant against her skin, a lingering reminder of the grove's tranquility. Rei moved first, drawing back the canopy curtains with careful hands, gathering the gossamer fabric in wide loops and securing it to the carved dragon posts with ties of silver cord.

Kai extinguished two of the nearer candles, pinching the wicks between moistened fingers with quick, practiced motions, leaving only enough light to navigate by a soft golden glow that cast long, gentle shadows across the bed. Junko stepped onto the dais, the three low steps bringing her to the level of the mattress, and walked across the silk bedding to the center. The fabric was cool against her bare feet, the weave so smooth it felt almost liquid. She settled into the center of the wide bed, the mattress yielding gently under her weight layers of down and silk beneath the sheets, contoured to cradle her slender form as she stretched out on her back, arms resting at her sides, palms turned upward.

 

[Junko Ike]

Rei and Kai took their places without a word, the sequence of movements so practiced it had become a kind of choreography. Rei lay to Junko's right, positioning herself on her side with her head propped on a small cylindrical pillow, her body curving inward so that one arm draped protectively across Junko's waist the weight of it light but present, a grounding pressure. Her other hand rested on the silk bedding mere inches from the hilt of her katana, the weapon still on its stand but within reach of a single swift motion. Kai mirrored her on the left, her body curving slightly to shield Junko's other flank, head pillowed on one bent arm while her free hand settled lightly against Junko's shoulder, the thumb resting in the hollow above the collarbone.

Their warmth pressed close strong, steady, reassuring two living blades turned to guardians in the night, their presence a silent promise that no harm would reach their charge while breath remained in their bodies. The scent of their hair, a subtle blend of the camellia oil used for grooming and the faint cherry-blossom fragrance of the soap they all shared, mingled with Junko's own subtle fragrance of garden mist and the sandalwood that clung to her from the braziers. Together these scents created a familiar, comforting atmosphere that signaled safety and rest.

 

[Junko Ike]

Junko exhaled slowly, a long release of breath that seemed to carry the last tension of the day out of her body. Her coal-black hair, still slightly damp at the ends from the pool's mist, fanned across the indigo silk in spreading waves, the force beads woven into the strands catching the faint remaining light like tiny stars scattered across a night sky. Rei's fingers traced a single, soothing circle against her side through the linen one slow revolution, deliberate and calming before settling still. Kai's thumb brushed once, lightly, along the curve of her shoulder, a gesture that was more acknowledgment than movement, a silent communication of presence.

No words passed between them; none were needed. The palace chimes rang once more, distant and final, a single deep note that marked the full descent of night beyond the alabaster dome. Outside, beyond the walls and the corridors and the antechambers, the perpetual cherry trees continued their quiet flowering, petals falling unseen in the dark, blanketing the moss and the quartz path and the surface of the now-invisible pool in layers of soft pink that would await the morning.

 

[Junko Ike]

Sleep came swiftly, deep and dreamless at first. Junko's breathing slowed to match the gentle rise and fall of the two women flanking her three rhythms that fell into synchronization within minutes, as they did every night. Rei and Kai remained awake a little longer, their eyes open in the dimness, dark irises reflecting the faint glow of the remaining candles. They listened to the palace settle around them: the soft creak of ancient stone adjusting to the night's cooler temperature, the murmur of distant fountains still running in the interior courtyards, the occasional sigh of wind through the open lattice of the upper windows a sound like exhalation.

Their senses, trained through years of vigilance, cataloged each sound, identified it, and dismissed it as non-threatening. Only when Junko's face had smoothed completely into repose the faint tension between her brows finally releasing, her lips parting slightly, the natural crimson flush of her cheeks softening into a more even tone did they allow their own eyes to close. Even then, their bodies remained angled protectively, the geometry of their positions creating a defensive perimeter around the sleeping queen, and their blades remained close at hand, hilts aligned for the fastest possible draw.

 

[Junko Ike]

The first pale light of dawn filtered through the alabaster dome of the bedchamber, the stone diffusing the early sun into a soft lavender glow that spread evenly across the silk bedding, catching the silver-thread edges and making them glitter faintly. The room was cool but not cold, the braziers having burned down to embers during the night and the attendants having not yet arrived to tend them. Junko stirred slowly, consciousness returning in incremental layers: first an awareness of warmth and weight, the familiar pressure of Rei's arm across her waist and Kai's hand on her shoulder; then the soft texture of silk against her skin; then the dim lavender light through her closed eyelids. Her slender body, at five feet two inches and one hundred ten pounds, felt wonderfully rested, every muscle eased by the deep, dreamless sleep that had claimed her after the long day.

The onna-bugeisha remained close, their steady warmth a silent shield even as consciousness returned, neither having moved more than a fraction of an inch during the night. Rei's arm still rested lightly across Junko's waist, the weight of it exactly where it had been at midnight. Kai's hand lay gently on her shoulder, the fingers slightly curled, the thumb still resting in that hollow above the collarbone. No words broke the quiet; only the faint, rhythmic breathing of the three women filled the space a soft counterpoint of inhalation and exhalation accompanied by the distant melody of hidden palace chimes that marked the sunrise with a sequence of three ascending notes, each one higher than the last.

 

[Junko Ike]

Junko stretched languidly, arching her back in a slow, feline motion that began at the tips of her toes toes pointing, ankles flexing traveled up through her calves and thighs, curved her spine in a gentle bow that lifted her hips slightly from the mattress, and extended all the way to the crown of her head, her chin tilting back and her arms reaching overhead until her fingers brushed the indigo pillow above her. Her coal-black hair, tousled from the night, spilled across the pillows like dark silk, some strands tangled with the force beads that had shifted during sleep. The movement caused the linen shift to slide softly against her light golden skin, the fabric bunching briefly at her waist before settling back into place, and the natural crimson flush of her cheeks deepened slightly as circulation returned to the small vessels near the surface.

Her large, lustrous eyes black at a glance but, upon closer inspection, flecked with tiny points of green and blue that shifted with the light, like chips of jade and turquoise scattered across obsidian blinked open, the lids still heavy with the remnants of sleep. They were framed by perfectly tweezed brows, their arches matching with a symmetry that required daily maintenance, and the delicate jade rings that encircled them thin bands of pale green stone, each one no wider than a thread, fitted precisely to the curve of her brow bone. Small jade crystals, still in place from the previous day, caught the dawn light as she turned her head, casting tiny green reflections across the pillows like scattered emeralds. She exhaled a contented sigh, the sound soft and brief, and allowed herself a moment of stillness before the day's demands began.

 

[Junko Ike]

Rei and Kai rose first with practiced grace, their movements silent and fluid, the black silk of their kimonos whispering against the bedding as they slipped from the mattress. They drew the sheer canopy curtains fully aside, releasing the silver ties and allowing the gossamer fabric to fall in soft folds that framed the bed rather than enclosing it, the morning light now able to spill more fully across the ebony dais. Kai moved to the low braziers, adding fresh pinches of sandalwood powder from a small ceramic jar, the powder catching the embers and releasing thin spirals of fragrant smoke that rose toward the alabaster dome.

A basin of warm, scented water was brought forward by Rei the water having been heated in a brass pot over a small spirit flame in the adjacent dressing chamber along with a stack of soft, undyed cotton cloths, and a low lacquered stool was placed at the edge of the dais. The stool was of black lacquer, inlaid with mother-of-pearl in a pattern of cherry blossoms, and it had been positioned at precisely the right distance for Junko to sit without turning. The two onna-bugeisha worked in harmonious silence, their identical features composed and attentive, their movements efficient yet reverent each action performed with the care of a ritual rather than the haste of a chore. Junko sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, the silk sheets sliding away, and her bare feet met the cool smoothness of the obsidian floor.

 

[Junko Ike]

The stone was polished to a mirror finish and always cool, even in summer, a sensation that helped dispel the last drowsiness of sleep. One of the jade-robed attendants entered quietly, having been waiting in the antechamber for the precise moment indicated by the chimes. Her robe was of a lighter green than Junko's outer kimono would be a spring-leaf shade and her hair was bound in a simple knot at the nape of her neck. She carried a tray of dark, lacquered wood upon which were arranged the grooming implements for the morning ritual: a set of fine boxwood combs, three in total, each carved with intricate lotus patterns that wrapped around the spine and handles, the teeth of varying widths for different stages of the combing process.

Small porcelain vials, their surfaces painted with miniature landscapes of mountains and mist, containing camellia oil infused with subtle jasmine and sandalwood essences, the proportions carefully balanced so that no single scent dominated; and a velvet-lined box, its exterior covered in deep blue silk, containing the force beads small, translucent orbs that shimmered with inner energy, their light visible even through the closed lid as a soft, pulsing glow. Junko moved to the stool, settling herself gracefully, her bare feet flat on the obsidian floor and her hands resting on her knees. Rei positioned herself behind the stool, her height giving her the correct angle to work on Junko's hair from above, while Kai stood ready with the vials of oil, having warmed the first one between her palms to bring it to body temperature.

 

[Junko Ike]

The process of readying her hair began with gentle unpinning. Rei's fingers, strong from sword-work yet capable of extraordinary delicacy, carefully removed any remaining kanzashi from the night a few small pins that had been left in place to secure the simpler sleeping arrangement and placed them on a small tray held by the attendant. With the pins removed, she loosened the loose knot that had contained the hair during sleep, and the full mass of waving coal-black hair was allowed to cascade freely down Junko's back, reaching nearly to her waist, the ends brushing the edge of the stool. The hair still carried a faint, clean scent from the previous day's grooming, and the waves were soft rather than tangled, the nighttime arrangement having prevented the worst of the matting.

Rei began with the widest boxwood comb, its teeth spaced generously to work through the initial tangles without pulling. She started at the crown of Junko's head, placing the comb flat against the scalp, and drew it slowly through the lengths in a long, deliberate stroke that traveled all the way to the tips. Each pass was methodical, covering a strip of hair perhaps an inch wide, starting from the scalp and gliding smoothly downward to distribute the natural oils from the roots and smooth any tangles from sleep.

 

[Junko Ike]

The comb's teeth moved with care Rei's wrist turning slightly at the first resistance to work through a knot gently rather than forcing it never tugging, instead coaxing the strands into alignment and stimulating the scalp in rhythmic motions that promoted circulation and a sense of calm awakening. Junko closed her eyes, surrendering to the familiar ritual, the repetitive strokes establishing a rhythm that lulled her into a meditative state, neither fully awake nor asleep. The hair, treated with special oils that responded to her moods through a subtle interaction with her Force presence, began to shift subtly in color: the deep midnight tones, almost blue-black in the shadows, lightened gradually toward a warmer chestnut, the change occurring in increments so small it was only noticeable when Rei paused to compare the section she had combed with the section still untouched.

Kai warmed a second small amount of camellia oil between her palms, the friction raising the temperature until the oil was pleasantly warm and its scent rich, floral, with undercurrents of the jasmine and sandalwood infusions filled the air around the stool. She worked it carefully through the lengths, applying it section by section, her skilled fingers dividing the hair into manageable portions and massaging the oil from the roots outward to the very tips, ensuring even distribution without any greasiness. The oil brought a luminous sheen to the coal-black waves, making each strand catch the morning light like polished obsidian, the reflected highlights shifting from silver to gold depending on the angle.

 

[Junko Ike]

Rei continued combing after each application, the boxwood teeth now gliding even more smoothly through the oiled strands, spreading the nourishing essence thoroughly and working out any remaining tangles that the oil had loosened. The process was unhurried, almost sacred in its deliberation: combing not merely to detangle but to purify, to honor the hair as an extension of Junko's presence and power, a daily act of care that was both practical and symbolic.

Small, loose strands that came away on the comb natural shedding, a few dozen hairs each day were gently removed and set aside on the tray, later to be burned in a small brazier as was the custom, ensuring that no part of the queen's person could be taken and used in any working against her. This left the remaining mass sleek and vibrant, the color now fully warmed to that rich chestnut that indicated peace and contentment.

 

[Junko Ike]

Once the hair was fully oiled and combed to a silken perfection, the addition of the force beads began. Kai selected the small, translucent orbs each one imbued with faint inner luminescence, a soft white light that pulsed in a slow, steady rhythm from the velvet box, choosing beads of varying sizes to suit different placements. The smallest, no larger than grains of rice, were for the fine strands near the temples; the larger ones, perhaps the size of small pearls, were woven deeper into the mass. Rei parted sections of the hair with precise care, using the tail of a fine-toothed comb to create clean divisions that ran straight back from the forehead.

The beads were threaded onto slender strands near the front, each one slid carefully onto a small group of perhaps five or six hairs before the strand was twisted to secure it, allowing the beads to dangle like soft bangs across Junko's forehead and temples moving with her, catching light with every turn of her head. Others were woven deeper into the waves, positioned further back on the crown and at the sides, where they would be partially concealed by the outer layers of hair but would still exert their subtle influence, enhancing her latent Force abilities without weighing down the style.

 

[Junko Ike]

Each bead was placed with deliberate artistry: Rei's fingers twisted tiny sections of hair into fine ropes before threading on the beads, then sealed the ends with a tiny drop of clear resin from a vial on the tray, ensuring they would remain secure throughout the day's activities. The force beads added both beauty and subtle power, their presence a quiet reminder of Junko's command over energies both seen and unseen, their soft glow barely perceptible beneath the lustrous waves.

Rei gathered the main mass into a loose yet elegant coiffure, working with the natural wave of the hair rather than against it. She swept the sides upward, securing them with a few strategic pins at the crown, and allowed the back to fall in a cascade of structured waves that moved as a single unit. The style left a few carefully arranged strands to frame Junko's oval face, softening the formality of the arrangement without diminishing its elegance. The final result was exquisite: the hair, now shifted fully toward a rich, lustrous chestnut tone that reflected her rising mood and the morning's calm, gleamed with health.