Editing House of Courage

"Guh.  Stupid rocks."  Ruki Nü stood up straight and stretched out his tired muscles.  "[[Mite Xu]] always makes working stone look so easy.  This stuff's impossible to shape right."

"Are you saying that you can't build it?"

"Uhm..."  Ruki Nü craned his head awkwardly up.  A war goddess stood looking down at him from a pile of stone.  She did not look happy.  "Hi."

"Is a shrine beyond your skills?"  The [[Sweet Voice of Brass and Glory]]'s voice rang loud in his ear.

The craftsman scratched his head and tried to smile.  "Well...  No...  But they aren't really my specialty.  I'm better with flying things; grand swooping wings, rotating fans, bags of hot air..."  

"I'm not asking you to perform geomancy."

Ruki Nü shrugged.  "You sort of are.  Building a manse..."

"I found you the demesne already, and it's one where two Dragon Lines barely cross - surely it can't be too taxing for you."

"No...  It's just..."  Ruki Nü cast his gaze further east, towards the [[Gatehouse of the Five Winds]] and his far-too unfinished skyfleet.  "My work."

"I would ask another to do this if I could."  The goddess stepped down from the unworked stone and when she spoke again she had muted her voice.  "But you are what I have, Ruki Nü, and I need your help.  Every other artisan of [[The Xuan Wu Academy]] is occupied in some project to rebuild [[The Marukan Alliance|Marukan]].  You alone could be spared for this."

"But why is it so important that it happen now?  Why can't it wait until one of the others is ready.  [[Inam Niu]] builds wonderful manses."

"Within a week, [[Storm of Amber]] will ride here to [[Scattered Hoof-beats Sound|unlock the fifth gate of his Essence]].  I must watch over him while he does, and I'll have to be constantly at my full strength.  That can only happen if I've a home here."

Power and beauty mixed in her voice and moved something in Ruki Nü's heart.  He would have built the manse anyway - for all his protests, it was his job to serve - but something about the way the goddess spoke inspired him to something loftier than simple construction.  

"Red sandstone," he said.  "Elegant stairs cascading down either side.  A water trough for purification, on the east side to balance out the Wood Essence, and a grand red hall to capture the sound of your song for him."

The craftsman smiled at the goddess.  "When I'm done, your little shrine will seem to fly."


----
[[Heaven's Mandate]]