“If you won’t listen to me,” he said, “then I guess I’ll just have to draw Mendo’s spirit out of you, Tavon! Do you still wish to be a Nagao?” He attempted to sever my airflow while locking me into a strong submission upon the floor.
“I… p-pledged my loyalty.”
Rokshasa sighed before rapidly releasing me and allowing me to stand before he delivered an admonishing kick to the head.
--
It was in the afternoon when I’d been tasked to monitor and obtain reports on the status of Nagao cells throughout the Fourth Quadrant. Nagao had maintained a reach great enough to result in demand of ‘Lieutenants’ who could properly supervise activities at the lowest level. In this way, Elder Nagao boosted his revenue through micromanagement.
The leader of the clan decided to create a rotation that shifted throughout the most trusted members of the family and only included me after I’d spent so much time proving my worth to them.
To start out with, I was given a specific path to abide by as I was chaperoned in a cruiser driven by one of the Nagao members. It was an easy job, and I’d be paid for babysitting others just like me—except to them, I’d become part of the nobility.
Nagao’s weapons and drug trade was locally dry. It had been the Elder’s idea to outsource all products from Gaspul, and this resulted in us often providing lower grade items to the remaining clientele. Whereas Meiziki maintained close connections to several pharmaceutical companies, Nagao scratched together what it could to compete. To compensate for comparatively weaker products, Naizo suggested extending Nagao’s services into extortion, a request promptly denied by his father. He was a man wary of any change.
After finishing my patrol and finding nothing out of the ordinary, I stepped out of the cruiser and moved down the street toward the shrine to see if Rokshasa was interested in sparring again before Mendo’s arrival. I’d really done little; regardless, I felt fatigued as I strolled through the mostly peaceful area owned by the syndicate.
As the Sun faded over the horizon, I noticed a figure in the distance facing toward me. The shape of the person was rather far, but they appeared to be standing with legs at shoulder width while they folded their arms and tapped impatiently.
Someone was waiting for me…
--
As I approached, the silhouette shrunk to my height, and I recognized him.
Dfari’s one eye bore into me. He didn’t blink; he didn’t allow himself to look away. He resembled a statue, a gargoyle harvesting something beyond rage in the manner in which stood there.
I didn’t know what to say.
It had been years since I’d encountered the bastard, and I wondered if he’d changed since then.
Dfari swallowed and said, “Do you not know what happened, Knockdown?” His eyes became pale craters drowning constricted pupils; Dfari was sweating and struggled to control his breathing as he experienced an inner anger I couldn’t comprehend at the time…
Until he told me.
“You didn’t think robbin’ Ovo would affect me?!” His voice rose. “You really have no idea?”
“No.” I said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Tch.” He clenched his fists tightly enough to draw blood. “All this time, and you didn’t figure out why I’d been working for him in the first place—you really are fucking stupid!”
“…” Normally, I would’ve retaliated. Dfari’s words, however, conveyed with them a pain; something unresolved, horrific.
“Ovo…” A tear rolled down his cheek; he sniffed and continued. “You see, my dad owed him a debt, motherfucker… it wasn’t something Ovo could just shake. My pops robbed Ovo once—like you, but he got caught.” Dfari glared at me. “Like you will.”
“What happened, D?”
“I told my family I’d serve Ovo and work off the debt, and he came to trust my dumbass…” He fought to keep himself from sobbing. “I had to supply Ovo, T! It was ALMOST over!” Dfari exclaimed angrily.
“I’m…” He’d hurt my friends.
I couldn’t apologize; I still hadn’t forgiven him.
“Do you know what Ovo did to my family, T?”
“I… Dfari—”
“Tavon!” Dfari roared. “Do you know he did?! –Do you!?”
I didn’t respond.
“HE KILLED THEM ALL, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! HE SET THEM ON FIRE!!!”
I walked away, knowing he wouldn’t follow.
It would be impossible to reason with him; I moved as quickly as I could back to my living quarters and tried to forget about what had transpired. But Dfari… his eyes sought something; they shone with an ambition revolving solely around a deep hatred of me. He aimed to kill me however he could.
29
Purple
I MEDITATED WITH ROKSHASA, who’d been silent throughout most of the day. After we’d spent an hour at the Nagao shrine, I asked him if he was feeling okay.
“Naizo…” He said. “The heir plans to take away my title and exile me from the clan, Tavon… I’m… ashamed.”
For the first time since I’d known the samurai, he was at odds with himself.
“The Elder can’t protect you? After all you done?”
He didn’t reply, wallowing in his own guilt.
“Rokshasa, I’m sorry.”
“The fault does not lie with you.” Rokshasa retorted, bolstering a stronger disposition. “I spoke rashly of my lord’s son…” He looked at me. “But Naizo will lead what we’ve built into annihilation. Am I to fight for a clan that would disown me, Tavon?”
“I guess it depends.”
“Huh?” He raised an eyebrow.
“If you care for the Elder enough, then you’ll stay by his side. That’s the only thing that could guide you right now.” I pondered for a moment. “Your duty is to protect the Nagao family until they order you otherwise.”
“You’re right.” He smirked. “I should feel lucky that I’m not being ordered to commit seppuku, but if I could only take back my words…” He clenched his fists.
“You’re right.” I tried to comfort my friend. “Naizo is not good for the Nagao, and you should be the one to lead after defeating Mendo!”
Rokshasa smiled at me. “You believe in me after all,” his expression turned grim. “But, if I’m chosen as champion, it’ll take everything I have to stop him.”
--
Only five days before the duel was to take place, Beatrice stopped me as I was on my way home. She’d become much paler and seemed… smaller somehow, as if the warrior’s grief had blunted her normally fierce spirit.
“Hey…” Beatrice said meekly.
I felt concern, but I didn’t want to intrude on her life after what had happened previously.
I’d missed her.
“How are you?”
She smiled before stepping closer. “I’m fine… Can I hug you?”
I nodded and shivered as she held me tightly; it felt good. And then, she was crying. I didn’t know how to make her feel any better, but Beatrice seemed at ease while in my presence.
… And she kissed me.
“Beatrice…”
“Stop.” She looked into my eyes. “Don’t ruin everything now… if it’s what you want.”
“What do you mean?” I nervously tried to keep myself from shaking.
Her eyes widened. “No!” Beatrice was taken aback. “You?!”
“I don—”
“You’ve never been with anyone, Tavon? There’s no way! You’re an adult now.”
“I… uh—” I blushed, feeling flustered.
I could beat down grown men with my fists, but I didn’t know how to talk to the other sex, especially with what she had in mind.
Beatrice suddenly looked hopeful. “So, you are just an innocent guy, after all? You’ve never broken anybody’s heart—had your own heart broken? Damn.”
I frowned. “I’ve always just scraped by, Beatrice; I started with nothing.”
“And now they say you’re almost as strong as Rokshasa.” She smiled. “That’s pretty impressive, Tavon; you’ve grown so much… I just thought you were the type to get around.” Beatrice winked.
I scratched my head and faked a comfortable laugh. “Not exactly.”
“Well, Tavon,” She moved in to kiss me once again. “There’s nothing wrong with being a beginner—”
“Whatever.”
“Hah.” She smiled. “I can get you past that stage.”
--
I won’t go into detail, but Beatrice was the first person I’d ever slept with. She was sad, alone. One of Nagao’s greatest fighters had no one now, and she’d finally felt compelled to reach out to me.
On my bed, we laid together for some time before she began speaking again.
“Tavon?”
“Yeah?”
Beatrice stared at me. “You should leave the Lower-City.”
“What?! Why would I do tha—”
“Because Nagao is dying. Meiziki won the war when they took over the First Quadrant; there’s no way we could hope to defeat them—and the nanobot—”
“Beatrice.” I couldn’t let her believe that. If she did, then so would I. “We just have to be stronger than them by coming together.”
“You’ve got to be joking.”
“I’m not.” I spoke resolutely. “Rokshasa can handle Mendo, and the Meiziki will respect our ability to negotiate our own legitimacy.”
Beatrice laughed. “You speak like Rokshasa…” Her expression turned to a scowl. “I hate that.”
“You hate the way Rokshasa talks?”
“I hate the way Rokshasa is, Tavon! Dogmatic. Too obedient. He used to be so much more fun before he started chasing after the Elder all the time—but you’re not like that, Tavon. Not usually, at least.”
“I’m glad.”
--
“Our plan’s coming together, Tavon; it’ll allow us to strike back!” Rokshasa startled me awake the next morning with his announcement. I awoke to notice that he’d been drenched in sweat and specks of stained blood.
“What ha—”
“C’mon!” He insisted aggressively. “The Elder is waiting on you, Tavon!”
I rushed to get dressed before hurrying outside to see…
Beatrice awaiting the two of us before our departure to the Nagao shrine.
--
Elder Nagao was seated cross-legged before a small gathering of Naizo, Rokshasa, Beatrice, Abul, and I as he expressed something close to satisfaction.
“The future of the Nagao lies here, my subjects. It is with your endeavors that our clan can prove to the universe its might. Children, the Meiziki have decided to claim a shipment of nanotechnology using one of their own specialized cruisers…”
The room waited patiently as he cleared his throat before continuing:
“Rokshasa and Naizo managed to commandeer a similar vessel developed by the Uesugi, as the Nagao are not versed on the manufacturing of vehicles. The model we’ve captured is a sky-bound vessel the size of which is unheard of in the Lower-City.
“This cruiser is enough to house an army, and it is composed of three levels to accommodate those who would partake in the coming mission.” Elder Nagao pondered how to phrase what he would say next. He was disclosing details that had only been kept between himself and Naizo. “We found… an alternative, my children. The only way for the Nagao to counter Meiziki’s growth—for if we do not defend ourselves, Nagao will be overtaken.” Elder Nagao stood with authority. “The ones in this room deserve a better legacy than that, than serving under those greedy, dishonorable fools. And so, Muromusz Shikon in Gaspul has sanctioned a deal between us and his private cause: the Nagao are to receive explosives; weapons capable of penetrating our enemy’s defenses.” He stood firm. “The Nagao will be enabled to strike at the center of Meiziki’s operations before they expect it, but first we must use this gift to prevent them from completing their own trade agreement. Therefore, two days from now the Nagao cruiser will depart for Gaspul. It should subsequently arrive around the time Meiziki has begun picking up their shipment—and as a countermeasure, our arsenal will be taken advantage of to capture what we can of the technology while persisting in bombarding the enemy. Rokshasa!”
Elder Nagao looked to the samurai.
He rose. “My liege!”
“Despite your prior conduct against the Nagao, I have deemed you worthy of standing as the champion for this family; you’ve proven yourself above all others, time and time again. I believe now that even Mendo cannot muster the will to face someone of your ability.
“Yes, Sir!”
The Elder nodded. “By finishing this trial, you may reclaim your honor under my rulership, Rokshasa; you can continue to serve as a venerable samurai of the Nagao.”
“Thank you, milord. It is an honor.”
The Elder turned back to us, his expression remaining somber.
“I’ve yet to choose my guardians for the ship traveling to Gaspul. This council has been adjourned.”
--
“You want to serve them, Tavon?!” Beatrice exclaimed in astonishment. We’d been drinking wine by the lake. “Don’t you understand what these people are like?”
“I’ve lived with them for two years. I think I know.”
She became frustrated. “Don’t become like Rok, Tavon; he’s not himself anymore. You’re all I have now, and I wasn’t ready to be put in the kind of position where I’d be forced to serve some delusional old man… how can you trust him?!”
Beatrice shook me, but I replied nonchalantly. “He gave me a home.”
“That’s it?”
“I met you through joining Nagao-”
“But Tavon, that’s not what this is about—it’s like I said before: you need to leave the Nagao. Are you really okay with them blowing people up?”
“Are you?” I retorted, feeling annoyed at being scrutinized so avidly. “Why do you continue to serve this ‘old man?’”
“Hmph.” She folded her arms. “You really don’t know shit, do you?”
“What could you expect me to know, Beatrice?”
“Tavon!” She yelled. “The Elder BOUGHT me…”
“What?!”
“Uban was not my real father, but I was given to him to do with as he pleased after the Elder believed I’d had no inherent worth. Because I’m not the size of a bear, Elder Nagao looked down on me—in the same way he did you—and he decided that I deserved less than any normal human.”
“T-there’s—there’s no w—”
“Tavon.” She eyed me angrily. “I’m telling you the fucking truth. Elder Nagao once participated in the slave trade—honestly, all gangs in the Lower-City have done it at one time or another. It was only with him trying to seem more religious that he backed out of the trafficking trade, but that bastard has never stopped viewing people as his labor force…”
I hesitated before speaking. “You are still his slave?”
“Yes. He’s never relinquished control of me, just made me serve one of his underlings. But Uban tried to be a father to me.”
“Leave with me.” I declared flatly.
“Huh?” She looked shocked.
“If I must leave the Nagao clan… I want you with me, Beatrice.”
“That’s not real—”
“Realistic?” I chimed in. “If this whole syndicate is built on illusions, then it doesn’t matter. You have to come with me!”
And like that, Beatrice punched me in the side of my face.
She hadn’t held back, and I stumbled away in surprise.
“That was one hell of a hit.” I said while rubbing the area.
Beatrice waltzed up to me, her face scarlet. “You want me to risk my fucking life for you?! Don’t you know that you’re free to go? You could walk away from all of this, and the Elder would respect that decision! –But me!”
She struck me with her forearm. “How can you be so stupid?!”
After having suffered countless beatings at the hands of Rokshasa, Beatrice’s hits were negligible. She sobbed as she continued to bring her fists across my body and yelled: “How dare you put me in danger!”
I tried to offer a gesture of comfort, but the samurai resorted to slapping me. “You’re a fucking idiot, Tavon—just like everybody thought!”
I stepped away from her, and the samurai jabbed me in the back while I attempted to leave. Fighting Beatrice was pointless; besides, I never wanted to do anything that could hurt her. Only Rokshasa and Beatrice could stand by me, and I became afraid of losing them.
However, despite her pleas for me to return—for us to ‘discuss this’—I kept going. She couldn’t expect me to absolve her of her own grief, but I was empathetic.
We’d both lost a father.
--
The following night, I returned from training with Rokshasa to find Beatrice waiting on me at my living quarters. She’d stuffed a backpack full and sported a hoodie and pair of shades along with a gun holster attached to her hip.
Beatrice grinned. “Fine.”
I was confused. “Is this…?”
“Yes, Tavon: I’m leaving with you—but I don’t want to be seen, so shush!”
I stepped in and kissed her.
“What?” She looked at me almost taken aback. “Change of heart?”
“No… it’s just… thank you.”
We embraced before moving to leave the central area of Nagao.
--
“They trust you more than ever now.” She said.
Because venturing through the Lower-City on foot would’ve been too treacherous for even the two of us, we decided to head toward the closest bus station.
Beatrice continued musing. “You’ve done so much for the Nagao… and yet you would throw away their favor for me? Rokshasa is the one who will be reduced to nothing, and Naizo is most likely planning on using you as his right-hand man.”
“There’s no way in hell that’s possible, Beatrice. Naizo hates outsiders more than his own father.”
Angelos Odyssey Page 57
