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Hidekazu
The blue eaves of torii gates curved toward the sky, and Hidekazu and Masanori bowed their heads as they passed beneath to join the crowd closer to the temple. The building was modest with only two floors, but a dragon wrapped the temple’s roof, extending toward the sun. Everyone wore black mourning kimonos, including the twins, to see those who died in the final push against Lacotl sent to Shirashi’s domain.
A pyre waited in front of the temple, where three bodies were dressed in ivory and blue kimonos suitable for dead heroes. Kansai among them. Their bodies were piled with white chrysanthemums, and hiding amongst the flowers were paper cranes of various colours, twenty-six to represent the women taken by Lacotl.
Emerald, sapphire, and multicoloured birds for women Hideka
