Lin Hai's Journal - 3

[aesmael]

We opted to keep the oni stone and transport it ourselves to the imperial city. To keep it from feeding on more of our belongings I was able to scrounge an armful of damaged or defective glassware from one of the market sellers but am uneasy with how pleased the stone… Matri… was with this.

Before I could worry too much we were waylaid by an enormous animate glove. Or I think we were waylaid? The Princess, in her customary manner, gave it friendly courtesy and won over the bizarre apparition and its hidden master, who I still mistrust but who seems to like us well enough for now. We share our fire this night, and I hope the morning’s light will not show us a different face.

I do not know what to make of this man, who claims to be from a land “Scandinavia” on the far side of China, yet I have never heard of it. He tells tall tales, of Jotuns and a goddess of the dead who loves him so much she will not keep him, and of many worlds beyond this and our home. How much to believe him I do not know, yet he does not feel false.