Perchance (Lucian)

Having witnessed perhaps the oddest competition in all of her thirty two years, Princess Tehniyat had found herself rather preoccupied with the events that had transpired that gloomy day. Nothing good ever came of a day when the sun did not shine, or so she had been told since childhood. And yet the young monk who had given up the fight as though it mattered less than nothing hadn't exactly brought about any ill. At least not that she knew of.

The princess had just finished penning the papers for the two hunter ninja, their own personal mission laid out in thick, creamy parchment and adorned with her fancy golden script. Calligraphy was an art lost to the world of today, one of the reasons the princess held it so dear to her heart. Once the blonde had finished, she sealed the envelope and stamped it with the royal coat of arms. Someone would take it to the mission counters where the boy would receive it. If they succeeded, Hoshi would be all the richer for it and if they failed, well, they had asked for challenge.

Sometimes the Gods gave you a victory, and in those times your pride turned it into something less. The progress of those two ninja didn't interested Her Grace though, the monk however, did.

From initial inquiries, she had found out that his name was Lucian Nazar, however her sources had yet to reveal which sect he belonged to. Whispers reached her of affiliations with the sect of the Sun, the House of Light and several others but no one could say for sure. For someone so hard to miss due to his giant clanking companion, the young man was a complete mystery to most people.

A mystery she intended to solve today. For as the princess reclined in her straight back antique wooden chair, her narrow frame ramrod straight and her pale arms bare to the sweltering heat o the sun, Shina was on her way to the palaces with the Nazar monk in tow. The meeting had been more ordered than requested, albeit politely and Tehniyat had dressed for the occasion, bringing out one of her more formal gowns despite the lack of sleeves. A small golden tiara perched on her fair hair to emphasize her station even more.

No breeze wafted through the open windows of the palace library where the meeting was to take place and any lesser person would have begun to sweat and get uncomfortable. Not Princess Tehniyat of House Star though, she had been playing burn and scorch with the unforgiving sun since birth.

And she hadn't lost yet.

A thin smile spread across Lucian's face as he returned the watering can to its respective shelf and looked at the assortment of green sprouts barely peaking out of six small pots that sat arrayed on the man's window sill. Not six months ago the Nazar would have scoffed at the idea of actually enjoying gardening. Gardening was something his parents and the older members of his clan always did claiming it cultivated a respect for nature. At the time he had simply nodded along like any child would. However, having nurtured his own plants from seed he finally appreciated the lesson he once took for more 'adult matters'. Plus it helped that it was satisfying literally watching the fruits of his labor grow.....Now if only he knew what he was growing; having bought the seeds off a traveling merchant for a pittance who was to say what would sprout? He could very well be growing some common weed, time would tell.

A muted knocking tore the man away from his brief moment of introspection, which, in and of itself, was odd, he rarely had visitors. In a few strides he was at the door pulling it open. The woman on the other side introduced herself as Shina. Yes, Lucian had heard of the woman before, but never met her in person. Naturally, he showed common courtesy by offering the woman respite from the unyielding sun in his home, but she politely requesting that he come with her to the palace, the princess wanted to see him. Yes, the princess.

Not one to turn down an invitation, royal or otherwise,  Lucian stepped out into the streets with Shina. Perhaps a different person would have worried about his appearance at this point in time, but the Nazar did not have any such qualms as he was escorted through the busy midday streets of Hoshigakure. After all, the clothes he wore were probably the best he had in his entire wardrobe, which wasn't really saying much, but it would suffice. A long-sleeved white tunic over a maroon shirt that showed at the cuffs and neck complimented by a pair of loose brown pants. The pants could probably have done with a bit of cleaning considering the the light patina of dust from the streets. Oh, and one could not forget the leather sandals on his feet; for once the man could say he looked like a model Nazar with his freshly shaven head.

It took roughly ten minutes for Lucian and Shina to wind their way through Hoshigakure before coming to palace. The palace was the one place Lucian had not yet been in the village, so his eyes took care to scan each and every details making sure to not show too much of an interest-he didn't want to look like a tourist. Passing through numerous doorways and past more than a few Queensguard, the pair arrived in front of a rather unassuming door and what could only be his final destination.

Taking a breath Lucian composed himself mentally. Truth be told he did not know much about the royalty of Hoshigakure and what he did know came from talking with the 'common' people. As such, he did not know much what to expect or why he was here in the first place.

Well, time to find out...

Pushing open the door to the library a wave of heat hit Lucian rather hard, not that he really cared in the slightest. Sure, Hoshigakure owed its balmy weather to the proximity of a desert, but what was it in comparison to the tropical climate in the land of volcanoes?  The Nazar boy would take the dry heat of Hoshigakure over the humid heat of Funkagakure any day.

It became quite obvious who he was here to see, who else would be wearing a crown in the intended meeting room? Taking a few easy strides towards the princess, Lucian stopped at a respectful distance and paused. For a moment there was silence as an almost imperceptible breeze played with the curtains in each window offering a brief escape from what some might consider an uncomfortable heat.

Then he spoke in a warm even tone he so often heard from the head of many spiritual congregations around the city.

"Your grace," He said, drawing his right hand across his chest and bowing deeply before continuing."You wished to see me?"

The princess let forth a calculated smile, enough to be both polite and remind everyone present that they were here on business of sorts. Having kept the palace books for as long as Tehniyat had done, she had learned to navigate her way around audiences of a far more peculiar nature than the humble monk in her presence. She had to give him props, he was was polite and respectful but in no way overdoing it. Or perhaps that was simply because she was a lesser known name on the family tree. The Queen's popularity these days could only be rivaled by Akihana and Princess Tehniyat was neither one of them. She was however, curious.

"Welcome to our palaces," she greeted the bold young man, trying not to get irritated by the fact that his clothes looked very familiar yet she couldn't quite place them. "Please help yourself to chaanch and figs," she invited, gesturing to the untouched tray of food and drink. Unsure of what dietary restrictions Lucian adhered to as part of his faith, the princess had arranged for the most inoffensive spread even if it was somewhat limited.

"I had the pleasure of judging the chuunin battle you partook in a week ago," she explained as Shina moved to her customary position by the door. The Jounin understood her capacity in this meeting, and it was not that of a participant. "May I inquire as to why you chose to disrespect your comrades and the judges by refusing to compete? if you had no intent to battle, why show up in the first place?"

Returning the princess' smile with a thin one of his own, Lucian moved slowly to where the refreshments sat. He had learned a few things in life. One was that it was impolite to turn down invitations and two one should always accept free food, it is free food after all. Perhaps he was a bit naive, but such lessons had served him well so far. So, as the princess spoke, he gingerly sipped a bit of the chaanch while keeping an respectful eye to his host. Truth be told the first time Lucian had tried chaanch he had hated it, but the drink had grown on him as of late, call it an acquired taste.

Nodding along with the princess as she spoke he allowed her to finish speaking. There was no point in cutting her, or anyone else for that matter, off midstream. It was rude; Lucian was not rude. When at last silence graced the library once again the Nazar boy did not speak right away as if he were a scolded child. Rather he replaced the chaanch he had been sipping from and returned his full attention to the princess.

"Disrespect?" He questioned with a wrinkled brow. "I assure you I meant no disrespect. Had I intended to disrespect the judges, yourself and, most of all, my fellow shinobi then I would have simply not competed or signed up and not shown up."

A slight pause as Lucian took a breath, no point in working himself up and hurrying through an explanation.

"It is my understanding that without a third contestant that the two other competitors would not have been able to progress towards the rank of chuunin and be stuck in a limbo of sorts. I filled the spot that was required, but, that said, I nor any one of the Nazar people would ever fight for something as trivial as a rank. Thus, I took the path available to me, I surrendered. In the end the two others got what they came for that day, a chance to advance themselves, and I did not have to fight tooth and nail for some small scrap of prestige and fleeting glory."

The young man elected not to add 'I think it went rather well' to the end of his answer in hopes of not coming off as a complete ass. It was at times like this that his upbringing saved him face.

Yes, he could go on, but he felt he had already spoken too much. Better to speak less and be asked for more than to say too much and look a boor, or at least that his father used to say. Hell, he could already imagine more than a few questions that might arise from his answer, but for now he simply waited for a reply. Who knows he just might learn something from the conversation.

The revelation that the mission she had been sent to judge on behalf of Hoshi royalty requires a trio was new information. Truth be told she had been present at the arena as little more than a figurehead but not out of disinterest. Rather, Tehniyat was possibly among the few people in the city who toed a fine line between not particularly liking shinobi but not actively doing anything about it. Educated enough to know that her personal biases stemmed from an upbringing that painted chakra wielders in an unfavorable light, the minor princess was also in the unique position of being aware of how much these particular shinobi had helped both her country as well as her family. The result left her questioning how she felt about it most days and when in doubt, Princess Tehniyat had learned to let things take their own course. She did not interfere with the way Denkiteki and Akihana ran things and in return, the shinobi leaders did not interfere with the fact that she used a margin of the shinobi incomes to line the royal coffers.

"You say the term Nazar and yet I find it hard to recall that term exactly," the admission was not accompanied by guilt as much as annoyance. "I was under the impression I knew most sects in Hoshigakure. Clearly I missed one. Please tell me more about this." Should Lucian choose to explain, Tehniyat would listen carefully, committing the information to memory. Once he was done, she would continue.

"We have had little cause to inquire about ninja in our life save when Her Grace Akihana arrived at this City. But she does speak highly of you from what I've been told. You were involved in breaking up some riots if our information is accurate?" The question would leave room for him to elaborate if the young monk chose to.

"So," she would finally ask the question that had prompted her entire investigation. "If you refuse to fight for a rank up, how do you intend to progress? I am not the most knowledgeable in the ways of ninja but it is my understanding that you stand to gain little and less from remaining at your current rank."

"Do not worry, you have not missed one," Lucian explained politely. "Like many in Hoshigakure, I can not call this fine city my birth place. The Nazar clan traces its roots back to Funkagakure, the volcano village, my home. At the age of eighteen every member of our clan is required to embark on a journey to see the world, but more importantly to understand it, that is how I arrived here in Hoshigakure."

Once again Lucian found himself in a conundrum. On one hand he wanted to explain more for he truly did love to talk of the people that raised him. But, on the the hand he did not want to bore the princess with unneeded details. So, for now, he stuck to the idea of 'less is more'.

"Your information is spot on, regarding the riot. However, I did not do anything anyone else would not have done. Isn't it natural to try and avert unneeded conflict? Shinobi or not we are all human and a state of perpetual tension and conflict is not good for anyone involved. So, I did what I could and it was enough."

How odd it was, the Nazar boy found himself repeating what he had once heard so many years ago. No, it was not word for word the teachings of Kiyoshi or Minasa, but his words carried their spirit. Perhaps this was what finding one's own path was all about? Unfortunately he would not have much time to reflect as the princess posed another question that caught Lucian off guard as evident by a longer than comfortable pause before he responded.

"I suppose I'll continue to do what I have been doing since I arrived here: try to understand the world around me just a bit better. Truth be told, I've only begun to scratch the surface of Hoshigakure's diversity both spiritually and culturally, so I have quite a bit of territory yet to discover."

Another pause.

"Sure, the rank of genin might define me as a shinobi, but life, my life anyway, is not about chasing the next rank. Rather I like to think, though I may not ever become a chuunin, that I can grow in other ways, as a person. And, to be honest with you your Grace, I am ok with that."

Finishing Lucian's hand found the chaanch and brought it to his lips. He idly hoped his response was enough to appease the princess. The woman proved hard to read. And he couldn't help, but feel a bit preachy near the end of his response.

The young royal found herself interested in this land of volcanoes in spite of herself. Perhaps it was the way the young man talked of it, his admiration and fondness for his home country evident in his explanation. Tehniyat wondered if she too would speak of Hoshi in such a tone one day. Already betrothed to marry a minor prince from Bird Country to replace the cousin her family had lost near a year ago, the princess knew she wasn't going to stay in Haven forever. She hoped however that she would continue to think as highly of it as Lucian did of Funkagakure.

"I have an uncle held in great esteem at the Church of the High Lady," she began slowly, letting him finish before she spoke. "He was always fond of books and learning of different religions. You might like to meet him, even work as an apprentice if you would so wish." The offer was equal parts generous and self serving. Should Lucian express interest in her offer, they too stood to learn a great deal more about the world they existed in. Mutual enlightenment, as Uncle Mervyn would have called it. "He isn't in he city at the moment, he's escorting two young ninja to Rain Country for a mission, but if all bodes well and the stars align, he should be back with the young ladies in a week or so."

At his philosophy of wanting to not just see the but understand the world, the blonde raised an eyebrow. It was neither a disdainful expression nor a contradictory one, just one subtle enough to be noticed and interpreted how Lucian wished. When he was done, Tehniyat spoke up once more. "And what if I were to tell you that advancing through the ranks as a ninja would help you better in your quest to understand the world? Ideologies are important, they shape the part of us we want to be at all times. But until we attain them, there is the real us to contend with. And the real you - I believe - needs to rank up to further your cause."

An unexpectedly cool breeze rolled in through the windows, lifting a silken tendril of hair from the princess's shoulder gently before laying it down again, only slightly askew. It was as though the very wind waited, restless for the young monk's response.

Taking another tentative sip, the Nazar considered the princess' offer before putting the drink back down. Truthfully it was almost too good to be true. Thus, far he had been introducing himself to the various sects across the city and relying on their good will or his hustle to get him into see certain ceremonies. With the help of a local, a local in high standing no less, he could see many doors that were once shut opening with ease. However, it would take half the fun of getting to know people that one gets from throwing themselves into a situation blindly.

"I would be more than willing to meet your uncle if it pleases him. He sounds like an interesting man."

A diplomatic answer would have to do for now. He not wish to commit to anything just yet nor did he wish to close the door entirely. Better to leave it on the table as a option.

The young man could not suppress the wry half smile from spreading across his face at the princess' comment on rank. How familiar it sounded.

"Your grace, are you certain you were not born a Nazar?" Lucian asked with a light jovial tone. "Because you sound exactly like my old teacher. But, yes, you are correct there is a difference between perceived experience and experience itself. However, I must also work with the hand I have been dealt and with the rank of chuunin requiring battle for the sake of battle that hand does not include becoming a chuunin at the moment. Luckily there are innumerable paths to understanding with no clear right or wrong ones."

It was true, Chuunin would allow the boy greater latitude to work around the village, but it was not necessarily needed. There were other ways. That was the beauty of the world.

A true chuckle escaped the young princess as Lucian accused her of being a Nazar. "I'm afraid not," she answered, her face softening with the expression of amusement. "But I did have a fair amount of theology and philosophy incorporated in my upbringing, as did we all. And one of the most important things that I've come to realize... is that we aren't as different as we like to think." Where that revelation left her in terms of shinobi perception was still unclear but within a few more weeks, Tehniyat was certain she would be able to make up her mind. She was in no rush, nothing prompted a hasty decision and the princess preferred it that way.

"Should the Gods will it though, I would want to travel to this land of volcanoes. It must be worth seeing at least once if it is home to people like yourself," she offered in lieu of a compliment. The curiosity that had initially triggered her investigation into him was somewhat satiated, but now she wished to see his grand plan unfold. After all, there were few people who had managed to bridge the gap between shinobi and civilian, and if used right, Lucian could prove a most helpful political tool and ally.

"You may go to the Church of the High Lady with a note from me asking of the apprenticeship. Some of the younger acolytes have not learned all their words yet so you might have to explain that you were sent by the palace. There shouldn't be any trouble. The institution offers accommodation if you prefer. Use the week wisely until my good uncle returns. If he isn't back by then, kindly go seek him out. I love him dearly but he was not made to withstand the elements." As she spoke, ehr fingers skated over the heavy cream parchments once more, long golden quill dancing gracefully to the words she wrote out. Tehniyat had never had any problem multi tasking, a trait that ahd made ehr exceptionally good with large, simultaneous sums of numbers. Once finished, the blonde signed the letter with a flourish and then seealed it with Haven's royal crest.

"There you are," she spoke, leaving the sealed envelope on her desk for when Lucian was finished with his drink. "I wish you the best of luck, Ser Nazar. And just so you're aware, I will be writing a personal letter of recommendation to Lord Denkiteki regarding your chunin promotion." It was true, Princess Tehniyat had never interfered in shinobi matters before.

But she felt it was high time she should start.

A gentle nod of agreement was stopped cold by the mention of visiting the volcano village. Lucian was not so naive to think that Funkagakure was an actual tourist destination, far from it. Yes, he had grown up there, but it was away from the village, away from the carnage and away from omnipresent pools of blood. No, Funkagakure was not a place for the casual visitor and even one with purpose and a plan ought to be careful. There was a reason the Nazar clan avoided the village itself.

"I would advise against visiting my village," Lucian started darkly with a face to match. "Yes, it is my home and I love it dearly, but it is not a place I would send the uninitiated. An evil snares the land like a disease and the streets of village itself are more dangerous than you can imagine."

There was no urgency in the man's voice, but there was a genuine tone of concern. Truthfully, he had danced around revealing the reality of Funkagakure just a bit. But, then again, how does one tell another that there are cannibals and killers roaming the streets of your village? No, that would probably not pan out well, better to leave the details where they belonged for now, in the darkness.

Imitating the bow he had used upon his entrance, Lucian said his part unless the princess had anymore questions. It would appear he had a chance at chuunin, though the Nazar boy did not really get all that excited about chances.

"Thank you," He said sincerely. "Thank you, for both the chance to speak with you and your generosity."

Once again he decided not to overdo it. Taking a few steps forward he took the sealed letter from the woman's desk. The letter then promptly disappeared  into the fold of his tunic. It was time to leave, Lucian was not one to overstay his welcome. If not stopped he would leave the room in long strides once again being shown out by Shina, god forbid he wander the halls of the palace.

[Exit?]