Dales Obelisk, A Kanlu Krimson Detective Story

7/28/2019 Dales Obelisk, A Kanlu Krimson Detective Story

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Dales Obelisk:A Kanlu Krimson Detective Story

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Copyright 2013 by G.K. PeartCover design and digital illustration

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Dales Obelisk

A Kanlu Krimson Detective Story

By G.K. Peart

Two months have passed since the death of

Commissioner Ryuubi and peace has returned toDaleor so we thought. Prince Kanlu's philanthropic

visit to the slums leads to the suspicious death of Lady

Kouhime, the community leader. His fiance, Ruri,

may know more of the story behind the incident then

she lets on and his own subordinates are proving

treacherous. The prince must deal with old foes and

confront new suspects as he searches for allies to find

the secret that lurks in the shadow of Dale's Obelisk.

Table of ContentCover

Title Page

Copyright_Page

Summary

Dales Obelisk: A Short Story

About_the_Author


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Dales Obelisk

A Kanlu Krimson Detective Story

By G.K. Peart

On the circle where the tip ofDales Obelisk

denies the second light of the Harvest Moon, the

goddess vines part to reveal the path created by the

burning water.

The wanton billowing winds were a telltale sign

of the dawning autumn season. Farmers would soon

take to their fields for harvest, and exotic

preservatives like honey and salt would flood the busy

market streets of Dale. People had begun to prepare,

stocking their food supplies for the coming months of

cold. The elven metropolis of Dale, the center of

governance over the island of Ilkupir, the easternmost

island and territory belonging to the ImmerallianEmpire, is a city built upon a large hill and divided

into eight levels or floors. These floors are separated

by large gates and towering walls. The top most floor

houses the Imperial Palace of Dale, home to the kings


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second son who rules over the island as governor.

Additionally, the Dragons Tower is a massive spire

that stretches into the sky and can be seen from manymiles away as an enigmatic symbol for the people.

The floors descend in a class order with the

uppermost floors being occupied by nobles and high-

ranking military officials. Well-to-do merchants alsomake their homes in the upper spectrum followed by

middle-class laborers, artisans, and craftsmen. Smiths

of all sorts continue to fill the ranks until you get

down to some servants that live away from their

masters home. Finally you reach the Untouchables

who only wish to get by through life, not asking for too

much. On the bottom floor, away from the main

streets, in the slums, were where these unwelcomed

ones reside.

Here the roads were dirt paths, soggy from past

rainfall and human waste. Four elven men carried

pieces of wood, straw and other materials as they

sloshed their way down the street. The houses they

passed, mostly made of simple wood and mud, had

reinforced ceilings and scrappy insulations around the

doors and windows. The four men ran up to the only


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stone and brick house in the area. It was a patch

worked job with brick and stone intertwined, built

with whatever was on hand. Even so, it was clearlylarger than all the others and much more elaborate.

Just outside the house stood an old elf woman

with her hands together behind her back as she

patiently waited. Her graying hair was done up in abun at the back of her head and she stood hunched,

wearing a brown kimono. She seemed to have just

finished a discussion with another lady as a woman in

a fancy dress was departing in the opposite direction

as the men arrived.

Were back, Lady Kouhime! one man shouted

in a deep, overly cheerful voice. He was clearly older

the other men. He dropped his load of wood by the

house and wiped the sweat from his brow with the

sleeve of his kimono.

I cant begin to thank you enough for all of

your help, Mr. Sanada, the woman said in a shaky

voice. She bowed shallowly to him as the other three

men put their goods down next to the first pile. Two of

the three were breathing heavily and leaned against

the house as they caught their breaths. The last man


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was slightly different than the rest of them. Aside

from not being exhausted, he had light brown skin

covered by a simple gray-brown patterned kimonoand the short, thin black hair was nappy and unkempt

on his head.

Ha-ha, no problem at all Lady Kouhime,

Sanada said loudly. Its a good workout for these kidshere. They dont make youngins like they used to! All

right, lets get to work! No slacking off! he shouted

back at the men who were resting on the wall. Ah,

Kanlu, thanks again for coming out to help, he said

as he turned to the last male. Its always great to have

an extra free hand around.

Not at all, Kanlu responded politely. It is

always a good break from what I usually do, to come

out here and help. A country exists because of its

people, so I will do what I can to help increase

everyones comfort level to prolong the prosperity of

our country.

The men went to work, fortifying the stone

house. Other do-gooders in the area seemed to be

doing similar jobs to their small huts. The sun slowly

shifted in the sky and the street slowly dried as


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kimonos and other forms of clothing became

drenched in perspiration. But then a large group of

footsteps could be heard, drawing closer to the house.Work of all sorts in the slums drew to a halt as all eyes

turned to see what was causing the commotion. A

palanquin, a norimono of elaborate design, carried by

two elven men finely dressed when compared to the

people in the slums and an escort of six soldiers

from the Elemental Guard had arrived in the slums.

The guardsmen wore white shirts with bright red

hakamas as leggings symbolizing that they belonged

to the Holy Division of the Elemental Guard. Theconvoy stopped just before the stone-brick house and

the palanquin was set down as the four working men

approached to see what was causing such a ruckus.

The whispers of the populace had become a persistent

buzz of gossip.

After a quick glance at the four men, one

guardsman leaned close to the curtains and whispered

inside. He then stepped away as the silk curtains of

the norimono parted to reveal the beautiful butterfly

within the cocoon. A young woman sat inside with her

hand gently grasping the tassel. A wondrous kimono

of pink and red wrapped tightly around her slim


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frame while an almost transparent, golden shawl flew

mystically around her with each blow of the wind.

Atop her head, her vibrant, dark hair was done intsubuichi style adorned with purple-pink toned

kanzashi. Her face, covered with pure white makeup,

highlighted her large, dark eyes as well as her bright

red lips. Seemingly awed by her presence the crowd

went silent as she scanned everything within visual

range. Finally her eyes came to rest on the young man

named Kanlu. Her eyes narrowed in scrutiny as she

glared at him. She pursed her lips and carefully

inspected the mud and grime covering his clothing.Finally her delicate lips parted as she uttered her first

words.

Why are you in this filthy place, your

majesty?! she demanded in a firm, condescending

tone. As her words landed upon ears, panicked

whispering of awe disseminated throughout the

crowd. Though the Prince was revered, he seldom

appeared in public and did most tasks behind the

scenes. Instead, it was usually the woman before them

now who would take up the task of handling most

public duties.


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My dear Ruri, you are as pulchritudinous as

ever, even when angry! Kanlu said. He stepped

forward from the house to the awe of his fellowworkers and moved towards the palanquin. Will you

not come out and see the work that I have done?

I will not! she stated defiantly. The

deplorable conditions in these slums are suited forneither you nor I.

That is precisely why I am here now, Kanlu

responded innocently. The reason I have been

coming here for many years is to help increase thestandard of living of people in the slums.

Nonsense! Ruri shrieked to everyones and

her own surprise. She had rapidly brought her hand

and sleeve to her mouth, though it was already too

late to prevent the word from escaping. She took a

deep breath and almost gagged on the lingering putrid

odor in the air, so she kept her hand and sleeve

covering her face. Prince Kanlu, as your fiance and

the former Princess of Dale, I do thoroughly support

your commitment to the people. However, please

leave Ruri briefly paused mid-sentence when

Kouhime appeared from within the house. She quickly


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resumed where she had left off and began carefully

lifting the bottom of her kimono as she shakily

stepped out of the palanquin, her sandals sinking intothe mud. please leave the realization of your

philanthropic endeavors to other subordinates and

staff. Now please return with me to the palace and

take a proper shower. There are pressing matters that

need your attention. She ended with a shallow yet

humble bow.

I understand Ruri. Please raise your head. You

have no reason to bow to me. But if I am to return

with you, shall we share that palanquin then? As he

said the words, an indescribable expression of

trepidation and utter repugnance manifested itself on

Ruris beautiful face. Kanlu laughed and waved off the

idea. That was merely a jest, love. I will commandeer

another palanquin once we reach the main street.

Ruri nodded in affirmation and once again

carefully lifted her kimono. She slipped out of her

sandals and back into the norimono, leaving the

footgear abandoned in the mud. Kanlu then turned

around to address the people at the house with


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farewells and walked alongside the palanquin as the

convoy departed.

The royal convoy emerged at the main market

circle. A large stone obelisk stood erect, casting its

shadow on the circle. Markings along the wall and

ground indicated the time of month and day

corresponding with the season depending on wherethe shadow fell. The circle bustled with activity and

movement, and despite their grandiose appearance,

the convoy fell into the mix of carts, palanquins,

animals and people, all moving about. An armor

shops door swung to and fro as warriors and

adventurers sought the best defensive items available.

A patron exited a store with a small red maple tree

and a bag of various seedlings; in the window of the

store was a picture of a girl dressed in the wonders of

nature with vines curling around her body. This is

Central Dragons Ascent, the market circle on the first

level that welcomed all who passed through the main

gates into Dale.

I shall part with you here and meet you back

at the palace, Kanlu said to his fiance.


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Please be quick, your majesty. Do remember

that we have a ceremonial ball to attend that is being

hosted by the Maishiro clan.

Of course, he said with a nod. He then

disappeared amongst the sea of people. He found two

human men at rest with a decent kobe palanquin

unoccupied. He instructed them to take him to theElemental Guard headquarters on the seventh floor,

the last building before the final gate to the palace.

Kanlu arrived at the gates of a grand facility.

Armed guards stood at the gates and patrolled thewalls, wearing hakamas of various colors. As the

palanquin approached, the guards moved to search

inside but were waved off after the inhabitant

identified himself. After entering the grounds and

being set down before the doors of a building, Kanlu

stepped out, mud-covered and smelly. He ordered a

few guards to prepare payment for the transport while

he proceeded inside. Boldly and briskly, he walked

through making his way towards the barracks of the

Flame Division. Along the way, both training cadets

and veteran staff stopped to stare and salute, speaking

in whispers after he had passed. By the time he


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reached the sleeping quarters, word of his arrival had

already reached ahead of him and a grandiose

welcoming awaited him at the entrance. Packed intothe foyer and along the balcony stood a crowd of

guardsmen, at least sixty in number. The upper

balcony was filled entirely by troops wearing red

shirts and black hakamas, each with a katana on his

hip with the occasional wakizashi present. In front of

a large picture with a green vine border, a wide

staircase protruded from a balcony to a landing, and

from there the stairs split in two opposite directions,

perpendicular to where they joined. Each bullnoseopened up to separate corridors leading underneath

the balcony with a corresponding passageway directly

above as well. Underneath the landing a door bore the

insignia of the royal family, a single black and orange

striped K with red fires burning on the top, white

smoke rising from the fires and forming a circle,

capturing the letter inside. On the ground floor, many

different colors were mixed in the outfits of the

troops, but the group that was most prevalent was the

guardsmen in front of the door. There were many of

them standing together, wearing jet black hakamas

and shirts. Amongst them, one guardsman stood out.


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She was an elf, perhaps two heads shorter than

Kanlu but with an aura almost equally as feared in the

room. Her long black hair was tied together in aponytail and kept together in a thin paper wrapping

all the way down to her waist. So thin was the

wrapping, one could connect a thumb and index

finger around it and have extra space to squeeze. She

too wore a jet-black hakama and shirt, but went one

step further by having an equally as black open

kimono with just a slight white lined border in

contrast. A katana and wakizashi were sheathed and

slung on her back in the shape of an X. She formed afist with her right hand and brought it over her heart

in a salute. As she did so, the rest of the room followed

suit in an echoing roar. She then stepped forward and

went to kneel in front of Kanlu.

My lord, it has been

No! Stop that! Shina, please stand up, now!

Kanlu ordered in whispers.

As you wish, Shina responded as she rose.

Commander, to what honor do we owe the pleasure

of your visit to Headquarters? Kanlu stared at her

incredulously, his eyes wide is shock.


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Honor? Pleasure? Shina, please, I am filthy,

covered in mud, tired, and definitely smell of

yesterdays trash. He said quickly. The prince thenpointed at the door with the insignia, I came here to

use the circle in my office to go to the palace and then

wash off. Thats all, so could you do me a favor and

send everyone back to their posts.

Right away, my lord! Shina turned to face the

guardsmen and ordered them back to their posts.

After saluting one more time, they slowly began to

dissipate, vanishing into the many paths that led to

different areas.

Thank you. Kanlu began walking towards the

door and Shina followed him.

My lord, I have a report to give you.

Go ahead, he said as he opened the door.

Shina began talking about findings on some of her

missions, supply requests, and conflicts with other

parties and organizations in the missions from which

she and her squad had returned. She then began

explaining what the other captains were doing and

why they were not able to be present for his arrival.

Kanlu mildly listened to her report, storing some key


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bits of information in the back of his head, while he

opened a closet and pulled out some clothes. He then

stepped on a small platform and waited until Shinafinished talking.

Thank you Captain Hayashikawa. Just to

follow protocol, write up a summary of that

information and submit it records. Also, leavemembers of your Shadow Division

Ah, Darkness Division, CommanderPrince

Killik ordered that

To hell with my brother! Have extra members

of your unit on guard duty tonight around Ruri and I.

We have a ball to attend with the Maishiro clan and

they have a history with the Tenshi family.

Absolutely.

Excellent, then take care. Kanlu transferred a

bit of his magical powers to the platform and the

circle began to shine. A few seconds later he was

looking at an entirely different scene from his office.

He appeared in a humble room. Not humble in

regards to the living conditions of the people in the

slums, but humble in regards to the stature of the


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rooms owner. The wood and paper walls were painted

with various pictures from villages and people to

roaming animals like lions and tigers. A low desk wasin the room facing Kanlu with a large, red cushion

with golden furls weaved around it. On top of the desk

were several papers and documents, as well as a black

feather quill and a bottle of ink. Behind him, seven

smaller cushions lay scattered throughout the small

room.

Three pairs of footsteps could be heard walking

past Kanlu from the front to the back on his left side,

on the other side of the wall. As they stopped, there as

a light knock on one of the walls and a door behind

him on the left side wall slid open. Maids entered the

room wearing simple brown kimonos, the two

youngest were adolescent half-humans while the

oldest was a young elf. She spoke first.

My prince, welcome back. We were ordered by

Lady Ruri to escort you to the baths once you arrived,

she said as she bowed.

I see; sorry for the trouble. Anya, Brigitta,

would you to carry these for me? Kanlu politely asked


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as he separated the clothes he was carrying into two

small loads.

Y...Yes! they said in unison with their cute

voices. When they both moved forward to receive the

clothing, Kanlu couldnt help but smile as he noticed

their faces change as their noses twitched upon

receiving a welcoming wave of odor from his person.

Kanlu followed the lead of the first maid as the

younger two followed behind him. They walked about,

passing other maids, guardsmen and soldiers, all the

while Kanlu continued to announce his smellypresence with the odor that emanated from his

person. After going down the stairs and around a few

more turns, the maid slid open the door to the hot

springs. Kanlu alone undressed in the room, leaving

the rancid kimono he wore in a basket on the ground.

He slid open another set of doors and steam rushed

forward overwhelming him. He was in his private

indoor hot spring, a place where he could relax in

solitude. The bath itself had stone flooring to give the

appearance of it being outdoors. The pool of water

was wide, large enough of to hold two or three of the

small huts he saw in the slums. Along the right side


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wall was a small area for one to wash ones body

before submerging in the hot bath. To his right was

another path with a small curtain hanging only halfway down. Through it, the elf maid emerged wearing a

thin white kimono. In her hands she was carrying a

small tray of cups, sake and snacks. She was a bit

surprised that the prince was already waiting but

made haste with preparations and beckoned him over

to a small stool to be washed.

She gently poured warm water over his body

and collected scented soap in her hands. She worked

her hands with the rag in a refined manner across his

body. From his broad, back to his well-toned arms

and legs, she cleaned his body while his mind was in a

daze, thinking. After his body was rinsed once more,

he got up from the stool and moved towards the bath.

He removed his towel, placing it on his head, as he

entered the water, sinking to his waist. He submerged

his body beneath the water leaving his chin just above

the surface. Stretching his arms out, he leaned against

the stone wall as the maid placed the tray in the water.

It floated next to him, bearing a cup of sake and a

plate of edamane beans. She herself sat seiza next to

the bath on a small cushion with a bottle of sake at the


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ready and a branch of grapes. As the prince drank

from the cup, she would immediately refill it. The

tranquility of the room continued until

Splash!

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Summary: Dale's Obelisk by G.K. PeartTwo months have passed since the death of Commissioner

Ryuubi and peace has returned to Daleor so we thought.Prince Kanlu's philanthropic visit to the slums leads to the

suspicious death of Lady Kouhime, the community leader.

His fiance, Ruri, may know more of the story behind the

incident then she lets on and his own subordinates are

proving treacherous. The prince must deal with old foes

and confront new suspects as he searches for allies to findthe secret that lurks in the shadow of Dale's Obelisk.

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About the AuthorG.K. Peart, is currently a student at Drexel University

studying accounting. The son of two Jamaican

immigrants, he grew up in a family of five with twoolder sisters. While young, he developed a fascination

of Japanese culture and customs. Dales Obeliskis his

second short story. His first,Commissioner Ryuubi

was published in 2012.
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Dales Obelisk, A Kanlu Krimson Detective Story