Kanjirou

The Petal Dancer of the Highlands, the wizards call them. From their fortress of dark rock, they see a curious anomaly: an explorer who leaves a trail of soft blossoms in a land of unyielding crystal. They find the sentiment illogical, a waste of energy. The miners who work the glowing monoliths, however, tell a different story. They speak of a kind face that shares rations and guides the lost, but they also whisper about the way Kanjirou flinches at loud noises, their smile never quite shedding its unease. One rival explorer, however, claims to have seen the truth. They tried to ambush Kanjirou in a narrow pass, only for the red poncho to become a deadly cyclone of petals sharp as obsidian shards. The fight was over in an instant. Kanjirou says nothing of this. They just keep climbing toward the next prismatic sunset.