Turtle Soup

The party stood on the hills overlooking Namidakame Lagoon. A mile offshore, an island rose out of the mists gathering as night approached. This was Shinju-no-Ie, the purported home of the sinister pearl merchant, Yugureda Shosaito, who they suspected was holding the missing geisha, O-Sayumi. A stifling cloak of silence hung oppressively over the land and water. Perhaps it was a trick of the setting sun, but the colors of the island seemed washed out, their hues drained by an unnatural gloominess.

The Mystery of the Missing Geisha

Zhustin was having the most wonderful dream. He was floating among clouds, surrounded by brilliantly glowing beings with broad, white wings. He felt immense peace, and all-encompassing love. And he tasted dirt. And blood. And his head was pounding and now the light wasn’t nearly so bright anymore, although it was still far too bright for his pounding head. But there was still a beautiful woman bending over him, her white wings shading him from the burning sun. Her lips were moving, and he struggled to hear what message of peace and love she was trying to impart.

“Get the hell out of here and fry his ass!” Marie screamed at the newly-revived Zhustin as she cast Fly on him. Then she flapped her own wings and rose into the air, away (she hoped) from the deadly assassin’s reach. Zhustin felt himself rise an inch off the ground; not sure what was going on, he continued floating up, then turned over to see what was happening on the ground below.