by Nikita Thorn
Fidgeting about, Minami explained himself. “It was not a common fire at the dojo. It was black powder that caused the explosion.”
“That doesn’t prove anything,” said Seiki.
Commander Nakatani exhaled. “Look, Seiki. Why would he have black powder at the dojo? I checked with the merchants, and there was indeed a shipment of thirty kegs of black powder to Nansei dojo, which got picked up by one of his students under his master’s orders.”
“From what I saw,” said Minami. “The explosion was caused by no more than two kegs of black powder, or it would have been much more powerful, which means the rest is somewhere else.”
Right then, Seiki knew what Shousei’s letter alluded to, and he could feel it burning in his pocket. Still, he said, rather harshly, “That still doesn’t prove anything.”
Commander Nakatani grimaced. “There’s one other piece to the puzzle, Seiki. Tsujihara used to be very fond of a woman called Hanae. Her father later gave her hand in marriage to Okamoto, with Tsujihara’s blessing, since Okamoto was also very dear to him.”
The commander breathed again very deeply, before he continued. “After Okamoto was executed, Hanae killed herself and set their family mansion on fire.”
Seiki stared at them as the commander came to the inevitable conclusion. “Your Master blamed the Shogun, Seiki. He is out for revenge.”
Quest completed: Night on the Roof [Level 8]. 85 XP gained.
Quest completed: To the Palace Again [Level 8]. 55 XP gained.
A chill ran down Seiki’s spine. These were the worst quests he had ever done.
Chapter 17
It was dusk again in East City, where uneven shadows of abandoned buildings grew long and enshrouded the narrow alleyways in an atmosphere of mystery. Any cautious city dweller, especially one with fewer than two digits of level of boast, would be very wise to steer clear of this part of town and pick a more patrolled route instead.
Safety was the last thing on Seiki’s mind though as he ran through the winding roads of East City. In fact, he had not even noticed the slight jump in the time flow after he exited the instance into the crowded Shinshioka once more.
Disturbing thoughts were spinning in his head. He had directly asked Master Tsujihara, and the old man had looked into his eyes and told him straight up that he had no intention of betraying the Shogun. Some things did not make sense, but Seiki was too troubled to clearly think them through. He knew now what the message meant: four hundred paces along the wall. Not the South City dojo wall, but outside the East Gate, along Shinshioka’s city wall—where Master Tsujihara was supposedly storing black powder, ready to blow half the palace up. Sato had dropped him a hint earlier with his complaint. Even Master Tsujihara had been dropping him hints. After all, the last thing the old man had said to Seiki was to do the right thing. It was so simple. Now that Seiki thought more about it, perhaps it had been very obvious.
Commander Nakatani had expected him to know where Master Tsujihara was, and Seiki conveniently had the message from Shousei right in his pocket to be handed to them, which was exactly what Seiki did not do. He was a bad liar, so he made no attempt at trying to be convincing when he told them that he would go look around and let them know if he encountered the old man. The commander and lieutenant—and even Minami the carpenter—gave him a puzzled look as he hastily ran off.
The Palace District was almost empty when he left. On his way through it, Seiki had looked over his shoulder to make sure he was not being followed, despite a part of him telling himself that it was all pre-determined and, no matter what he did, nothing would matter. At this point, he did not know what to believe. Every thought that came up equally upset him, so the only thing he knew was that he had to speak to Master Tsujihara.
East City was still unfamiliar territory, and Seiki found himself following the same road the Ambassador procession did. It allowed him to stay within range of street lamps and keep track of where he was. But Seiki hardly noticed his surroundings as he replayed his interactions with the old man over and over and wondered what he had missed, and why, and whether all that had meant nothing.
“Of course it means nothing,” Seiki cried furiously. “It’s not even real!” A few passers-by turned to stare, but Seiki could not care less. He had no idea what he would say or if it would have any bearing on the consequences.
The East Gate soon came into view; the distinctive shape of the gigantic azure dragon looking over its back was now lit by flickering lamp lights, which gave the decorative beast a strangely ominous air. This was the first time Seiki set foot outside the city.
This gate, like its western equivalent, was heavily guarded by patrols who kept a close watch on the steady trickle of people going in and out, mostly on horseback. Seiki followed them and looked for the wall, stretching northward in a straight line. There was no path in that direction. Ahead was a thin pine wood that would not be too difficult to navigate through. Four hundred paces, Seiki thought, and he started counting. One, two, three…
“Going somewhere?” It was a woman’s voice, in a chilly tone that could only have belonged to an obake.
Seiki turned and found Rieko of the Rogami Clan [Level 26] sitting on her shadowless pale gray horse, her long dark hair pinned loosely in a graceful knot that fell on her left shoulder. Her lips curled in a cold smile. “Good evening, Seiki.”
At that moment, her companion emerged from the shadows, urging his horse in closer to check who she was talking to. Suguru of the Rogami Clan [Level 23] seemed delighted as he recognized Seiki. “It’s you. Kojiro has been talking about you. He was severely disappointed by the disruption last time.”
These were the last people Seiki wanted to see right now. He glanced to the patrols sitting idly on their horses in groups. He was still within the range of the city, and perhaps that was why the clan members had not yet attacked him.
“So, where are you off to now, Seiki?” said Rieko casually.
“Kojiro is around here somewhere,” said Suguru. “I’m sure he would love to see you.”
Seiki knew these people had nothing to gain from killing him, but he did not doubt they would go out of their way to do so just because they could.
“Not in the mood for a chat?” asked Rieko. “Oh, we won’t bother you then, ne, Suguru?” She waved her hand as if speaking to a child. “Go on, run off.”
The smile on Suguru’s lips was all Seiki needed to confirm that his suspicion was right. The moment he stepped out of range of the patrols, they would do what they could to inconvenience him.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared of the wilderness?” said Suguru.
Seiki took a deep breath. He would not fall for that trick. If there was something he had learned from his martial arts training, it was how to take a slight. At this moment, he was more upset by Master Tsujihara than anything these people could do, and getting himself killed right now was not going to help his cause.
Ignoring them, he slowly made his way back into the city gate. He would need to find another way out.
“Oh, Seiki-chan!” said Rieko. “Giving up already? Don’t let Suguru scare you.”
Suguru cried, “Kojiro!”
Apparently, there were quite a few other Rogami clan members waiting around in the area, and while Seiki was certain it was definitely not for him, he could not help thinking how terrible the timing was. From the side, Kojiro of the Rogami Clan [Level 23] joined them on his black horse. He grinned at Seiki. “Ah,” he said.
Seiki kept walking.
Kojiro studied him for a moment. “Ah,” he said again. “It’s about time. Trying to get to that traitor?”
From behind, Seiki could hear Rieko draw a short breath with interest. “I see.”
Seiki denied them the satisfaction of a response. Kojiro spurred his horse toward him. The rings on the gigantic Oni Cleaver jiggled in rhythm as he slowed his mount to a steady walk alongside Seiki. “I can tell you what happens next,�
�� he said, smiling. “I’m sure you’re dying to know.”
Seiki bit his tongue and stopped himself from answering. It was not their business. It was not Commander Nakatani’s business. This was purely between him and Master Tsujihara. Deep down, he knew it was not true, but he did not care.
“He’s upset,” said Rieko. “That his Master lied to him. Am I right?”
Seiki hated the fact that she was right. He was not quite sure why the obake was so well-versed in his quest line. He also hated himself for actually caring more than he should.
Rieko let out a little laugh. “And he thought he was so special,” she said.
Seiki clenched his fists as he reminded himself they were trying to provoke him.
They were already passing the patrols, who had somehow managed to sense the tense air and frowned at them. “Play nice, now,” said one of them.
Kojiro, eyes still fixed on Seiki, cried to his clan mates. “Do you think Taiyora would mind bailing me out right now?”
“Of course he would mind very much,” said Rieko. “I’ll tell him to let you sit this one out.”
Kojiro ignored her and sped up his horse to block Seiki’s path, his eyes gleaming with delight. “Let’s play, now, right here in front of the patrols.”
“Uh, Kojiro?” cried Suguru.
Kojiro shrugged as he continued to talk to Seiki. “You’re going to Parry the first strike. Then, what? No energy. Are you then fighting or running?” He grinned. “Prison or the morgue?”
Seiki saw no way out of this one. The man was right that he could Parry the first attack, which—taking into consideration the level disparity—would be lethal and would therefore cost him all his energy. Then, there was nothing else he could do except perhaps to try to dodge the Oni Cleaver and hope that he would survive long enough for the patrols to get to Kojiro. Slowly, he reached for his sword, and Kojiro’s eyes lit up with delight.
Don’t.
It took a split second for Seiki to realize that someone was talking to him. However, it was not a voice but rather like the information that popped into his head whenever he stared at something. He froze and glanced around for its source.
Kojiro’s eyes narrowed as he saw Seiki hesitating.
Trust me. Walk away. If he touches you, he’s in for a little surprise.
“Come on, don’t be a coward. It’s a gamble,” cried Kojiro.
Since neither the prison nor the morgue was an ideal outcome at this moment, Seiki decided to trust the mysterious voice.
Rieko had noticed something amiss and urged her horse toward them. “What is it?”
The more, the merrier.
Seiki forced his hand back to his side and started to walk toward the city gate. Deciding to ignore perhaps his earlier better judgment, Kojiro grabbed his large blade. “The morgue, then?” He sounded a little disappointed.
Don’t Parry. Don’t dodge.
“No, Kojiro!” cried Rieko.
It was too late; Kojiro had swung his Oni Cleaver. Seiki held his breath to stop himself from reacting. The gigantic blade cut through the air in an intimidating swish and Seiki winced as he braced himself for the blow. Suddenly, he felt the air warming and thickening around his body. The Oni Cleaver struck him in the back and felt like a dab of sponge. Kojiro let out a surprised cry and fell off his horse.
Then, everything happened at once. The City Patrols yelled and Seiki spun around to look, just in time to see Kojiro bleeding heavily on the ground as the patrols zapped him away. Rieko cursed and galloped back out the city gate as the patrols shouted to ask if she was with him.
A few people had stopped to watch the spectacle. But since it all happened so fast, most of them just stared in confusion for a few more seconds, before dispersing.
Seiki, not any less puzzled, looked around once again for the mysterious person who had just helped him. Unfortunately, there were too many people.
“Where are you?” Seiki asked out loud.
The voice did not answer, so Seiki shouted, “Thanks!”
East Gate soon returned to normal and the patrols went back to their positions. With nothing exciting to view, people shrugged and went on their way, guessing that it was a flash brawl.
Seiki turned back, determined to leave the city once again.
Why did I just save you if you’re so set on getting killed by these Rogami kids?
Seiki stopped in his tracks. He could still not locate the person, but whoever it was must be within earshot of his shout. He studied the windows of the nearby buildings; they were either shuttered or empty and dark.
“I have to get out,” said Seiki aloud.
Find another way. They are camping this gate. That’s two obake we’re talking about, plus a few more coming to join them now. I can’t save you from all that.
The person must be somewhere within range but high enough that they could see what was going on outside the gate, Seiki figured. He scanned the surrounding buildings and found one with a little cabin-like structure attached to the roof. Its windows were facing every direction, one of which seemed to directly overlook the East Gate and would serve as a good vantage point.
Seiki ran into the building—a high-ceilinged storage house—and climbed the ladder leading up to the second floor. Yoko [Level 12] and Takuya of the Honor Warriors [Level 16] were sitting side by side on the flooring with their backs against the wall, and appeared embarrassed when Seiki barged in.
“Sorry,” cried Seiki as he searched for a way up to the little cabin on the roof. Visibly, the floor ended there. So, he poked his head out a window. As he suspected, there was a thick rope hanging down. Seiki grabbed it, pulling on it to test its strength.
You’re not going to find me there.
“Not what I’m doing,” Seiki shouted to his invisible conversation partner.
The rope seemed sturdy enough, and he slowly pulled himself up. Yoko and Tayuka had come to the window and were observing him questioningly. “Oh, sorry, not talking to you,” said Seiki. They must have thought he was crazy.
The wind was chilly, as it tended to be whenever one was hanging outside a building and quite a distance from the ground.
The rope ended just outside the window, tied around a large rusty hook. Seiki swung himself legs first into the cabin, and landed rather ungracefully on what appeared to be rotten wood and hay.
See? No one.
Seiki laughed. “I’m not looking for you, since I know you don’t want to be seen,” he shouted again.
The view from the third floor was rather nice. Seiki took a moment to look out from the cabin’s four windows, which revealed a scene slightly different from what he had experienced from the rooftop with Master Tsujihara. The city here was livelier, and a little shadier, since it was East City after all. The buildings were taller and limited his view, although he could still make out the Palace, looming over the entire district.
Seiki rubbed his chin, pensively. Now that he knew what the Shogun was capable of, he would have to rethink how he felt about the whole business. In the sky, a sliver of new moon was hanging low in a strangely starless sky, giving off almost no light.
“Of course, even the moon is fake,” Seiki muttered. He was not sure exactly why, but he felt as if he had been set up for this.
The window facing east was the one he sought. As he had hoped, the eastern wall rose up almost as high as the window, and on top was the serpentine decoration stretching all the way from above the gate to the left. Outside the gate, just beyond the patrols, lingered a group of Rogami members, in the midst of whom he recognized the two obake: Rieko and Suguru. Also there now was Taiyora, with his heavily armored mount, and three other members Seiki had never met before. They were all sitting on their horses in a loose circle, as if in a discussion.
Seiki peeked to the left. The ornamental dragon was pointing northward, along the wall, and it ended with a spiked fin-like tail that curved upward toward the sky about
three gate lengths away. If Seiki could reach the dragon, and then make his way along its body, perhaps he could drop down on the other side of the wall further away from the Rogami people, and from there go unnoticed. The wall was high but, if he remembered correctly, you could survive three stories of fall with armor.
With his hand holding tightly to the edge of the window, Seiki lowered himself onto the slanting roof. This put him slightly lower than the top of the wall but, at the same time, it would help with his running speed, so he might be able to use this momentum to propel himself through the air. He would then need to grab hold of one of the spikes on the dragon’s back. It was an eight-feet gap. He knew he should not look down, but he did anyway, and the ground looked very, very far away.
Seiki took a deep breath and aimed at one of the spikes.
You sure about this?
Seiki almost jumped. He had forgotten the mysterious stranger was still watching.
“How are you doing this telepathy thing?” Seiki could not help asking.
*Shrug*
“I have no other way,” said Seiki, answering the question.
With another deep breath, Seiki sprinted down the roof and leapt off its edge. Perhaps a little too soon. He flew forward in the air and slammed into the dragon’s side. His hand reached for the nearest spike, which brushed against his fingers as it slipped off his grip. Clawing at the dragon’s body, he struggled to hold on, but the ceramic tiles that made up its scales were slippery and offered no support. As the ground rushed up to meet him, Seiki was certain he was dead.
His body went completely numb on impact, but his head was clear as Strength of Will automatically kicked in. If not for the desperateness of his situation, it would have been a little funny that he had managed to hang on to life at such a low percentage. Seiki lay there for a moment before he could sit up and breathe deeply.
Not a good idea.
“Haven’t got a better one,” said Seiki as he got up. His health was still below a fifth and it would be a while before he could attempt another jump. He had been so close, though. If he could just time his leap off the edge perfectly, he was sure he could make it.
