Kokeshi

Every morning, Kokeshi apologizes to the great cascade in Waterfall City. They place Mr Quack, a tiny yellow figure, on the slick rock beside them and bow their head as mist clings to their jumper. The apology is for their hesitation, for the fumbled practice drills, for not yet being the warrior their mentor sees in them. The roar of the falls swallows the words, which is a mercy. Tamago, the Shell Warrior, had assigned this strange task. When they first found Kokeshi cowering by the fishing boats below, they didn't offer a weapon. They offered the small duck. "The strongest things don't fight the current," Tamago's voice had echoed from within their shell. "They learn to float." Kokeshi is still learning, but the water that streaks their face feels like a blessing now, not a judgment.