Journey ep02 : Ryuutama

4/19/2015
Journey

Episode Two
"Festival at Ifa"

Ryuutama

The group awakens to discover a beautiful morning awaiting them.  Twinkle the monkey watches Aya as she inspects the fishbone earring.  Kene, the Nekogoblin, is remorseful and sad for having lost the earring.  Aya asks if it is the earring he was looking for, but Twinkle suddenly grabs it and swallows it.  Tristan admits the only way they can recover it is once the monkey poops it out.   Kene moans about having to get used to having lost it, pulls out a long cloth wallet that has dozens more of the same fishbone earring, then slides one on.  Aya facepalms, exasperatedly.

As they pack up, they realize there is no sign of the weather reader.  The other troupe has decided to head east.  They tells the others they left them breakfast with a lot of meat, but they notice the weather reader's backpack is among the stuff the group is packing.  They bid them all farewell.  

Aya begins singing Shining Shimmering Splendid to raise their spirits as they traverse the landscape and continue on the path to Ifa.  They move across the grassy landscape, watching the rolling clouds and indulging in the warm spring sunshine.  Aya keeps track of their journey, making sure they do not go off course.   They are happy that there is no rain today, and the grassland is cool to their legs and feet.

As they continue, however, they find an old associate on the same route as them.  The Hunter-Trader is named Jordi, and his rivalry with Piter is well-known.  Until Piter, however, who has embraced the craft of creating Containers, the rival Jordi, however, is a shoe maker.  The two groups continue to Ifa, expecting fireworks and celebration, but instead discover something unexpected:

They arrive at the town of Ifa to discover that the town somehow has lost the urge to celebrate.  While Ifa has always been know for its festive atmosphere and the cute and cuddly Nekogoblins, they are shocked to find the place quiet and heavy.

They soon meet the mayor of the town, who they learn is the father of Kene (whose full name is actually Kenemokabakamabebe) and learns the young one was banished because he supposedly had made the "stars" go away.  The mayor sulks and wishes someone could help them.  When the group opts to do so, they realize finding the answer would mean climbing the Dark EvilHeart Meowtain in the distance and searching for the Nekomata.   The group decides to set out come dawn.