After a quick breakfast, Ayano had made her way to the Temple. She would of course offer prayers to Bishamon, whose favor seemed most often on her clan, but it was another Fortune that had brought her.

She lingered for several more minutes in the Shrine devoted to the Fortune of Wealth. Ayano had felt a certain favor for the god since her birth. Her Grandfather had taken her to Daikoku's shrine from an early age. To hear him speak on it, the young Lioness was touched by the god. Truthfully Ayano found the claim dubious, Grandfather had a habit of claiming any good fortune in his life was touched by Daikoku. Still she always felt contented after these devotions, and the memories of her time spent on the road with her Grandfather.

With that morning ritual complete she stepped back out into the area just in front of the temple. Perhaps a walk in the gardens was in order next? She still had time.

After finally, somehow, arriving at the temple, Takurou was thrilled at how beautiful the temple here was.
The temples in Great Falls were beautiful, too, of course, but here it was almost as if the temples radiated a little more dignity. Was that perhaps because the seat of the emperor was here?

Takurou didn't know the answer and didn't want to waste much time trying to figure it out. Instead, he began to pay his respects to the Seven Fortunes. A special attention was given to Hotei. The Fortune of Contentment was Takurou's favorite.

After he finished his prayer, he noticed someone nearby. She radiated a certain dignity, which was perhaps due to her clothing, but also somewhat due to her posture.

Takurou became a little nervous by this. He had been taught how the rest of the empire used etiquette, but he couldn't really understand it yet.
He thought frantically about whether he had to introduce himself, or could leave without saying anything, or whether it was wrong to say anything, and so on.

The result was that Takurou was so caught up in his thoughts that he forgot to take his eyes off Makime and stared at her with a panicked look.

Ayano turned to regard the Dragon, her clan was just south of the mountain mystics and...she had come to expect a certain oddness in their number. Still being gawked at was hardly pleasant.

“You may have better luck inside, if you seek enlightenment, Dragon-sama.” She remarked, inclining her head ever so slightly toward the Temple’s door. “Ayano of the Makime, Lion envoy. The senior Lion envoy as it happens. And if you were curious.”

She held up a hand, palm upwards, a sort of openness gesture, “I believe at this point you may wish to state your own name. And perhaps recenter yourself.”

"Oh, um, of course, um," stuttered Takurou while looking away in embarrassment. "My name is Saru Takurou, I'm part of the Dragon Clan's entourage, I think?" he managed to say while trying to find his composure. "How, um, are you doing, Makime? -san? No, no no... what was it? Ah right! Makime-sama! I guess?"

“It is probably -sama, Saru-san.” Ayano shrugged, “Though I know your clan places little emphasis on such things. Or at least less then my own. And I am doing well enough this morning. Though it seems a bit colder then one would expect given Lady Sun’s attentions on the palace.”

“Saru...so an artisan then?” She sniffed the air a little then nodded, “A cook or one who works in spices, I assume.”

"Yes!" he beamed up. "I am supposed to look after the well-being of the entourage, at least I think so, what exactly I am supposed to do no one has told me,.... but I can cook!" it began to bubble out of him. "Oh, that reminds me, do you have a favorite dish Makime-sama?"

"Find your own path is the creed of the Dragon no?" Ayano's lips tensed up at the corners for a second, playing at a smile, "As for favorite dish...I do not know really. Though I have sampled a fair few...my grandfather is a merchant and I travelled with him for a time before duty called me away."

"With Lord Akodo's new home on the coast, the bounties of the sea have begun to be seen more commonly in the Lion lands."

"Hmmmmmmmm" he thought out loud. "Seafood is a rare commodity in Great Falls,.......... maybe i'll get a chance to try something new here,......" His gaze wandered aimlessly for a moment. In his mind he was picturing what dishes he could create.

"But tell me... you say you've traveled a lot? Do you have a story to share with me?"

“I suppose that depends on how interesting you find trading,” Ayano smiled at that, “And how exciting you expect a girl of fourteen to sixteen winters to find everything.”

“Then again I guess I have been somewhat lucky in even being able to travel the Empire. In two years I haven’t seen as much as one might imagine...mostly the safer routes south. Is their place somewhere you wish to know about in particular and I can see what I remember.”

Takurou tilted his head and spoke, "A story is a story, regardless of the age of the teller. The value of a story lies in what you want to tell with it."

He smiled, "If you could tell about the sea, that would be nice."

"The sea..." Ayano closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the sight of it. "Well....it's vast. Blue all to the horizon. And beautiful, well mostly...like most beautiful things there is a terrible wrath hidden beneath."

"I haven't ever gotten to travel the sea, just watch form the shores." She smiles, "Lord Akodo has walked into the sea many times. You know he slew a great sea monster and rescued his wife's people." The Lion sighs, "I...am not a skillful enough storyteller to do that tale justice."

"Ah! But on my travels I remember arriving at the shores were my mother's people had come. We stopped to watch the fishermen that remained go out to collect the bounty. And had some cooked fish that evening." She remembered the trade as well, it was one of her first successes. The memory brought a smile. "They were actually quite good, though I think simple. There were precious few spices available at the time, and fewer that had worked with them. But setting on the coast eating fish and watching the fishermen finish pulling in their boats. Then the next morning watching Lady Sun's return shade the sea pink."

"That sounds wonderful and beautiful. I can almost see it in my imagination,...." Takurou's gaze wandered a little again. "I thank you for this story, and if I ever get to see the sea myself, it will remind me of you." A warm smile formed on his lips.

"Tell me, how would you like it if I invited you to taste some of my food for your story?"

"I would be delighted, Saru-san," Ayano smiled, "Though if you intend to make fish...then you would have some magic beyond whatever you can do with spice and season."

Her eyes grow distant for a moment, "Hmm...I wonder if it would be possible to get fish from the coast to the Dragon lands before they spoil. With salt maybe? A hard endeavor."

"Maybe? I could guess that some would be willing to get some, just to see a fish from the grand sea,...."

"I will try to conjure up something very special for you, say, would you have time for me the day after tomorrow?"