Mazumi

Every morning before the sun clears the cascade, Mazumi lights the lantern on their head. They settle on the lowest step of rock in Waterfall City, their fishing rod resting across their knees as they take a slow sip of strawberry milk—a strange luxury they trade their best catches for. The other anglers think the lantern is just for spotting the flash of scales in the deep, but they are only half right. Mazumi isn't watching for fish. They are watching the way their lantern's light bends on the water's surface, reading the day’s fortunes in the ripples. A smooth current means good trades at the plaza; a fractured glow warns of a coming squall. The fish are a bonus; the river’s secrets are the real prize.