The Nekomata shook her head. “I cannot say whether you hold the truth or I do. I can only reflect on what my elders have told me. What have you done to me, you tormented soul?”
Tov narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance. The horn blast sounded much closer.
“Am I to die slowly?” The Nekomata asked. “Have you robbed me of a good death?”
Tov winced as he looked away. “No, you will not die slowly, cat. You will suffer in your final moments; suffer in ways that you can’t possibly imagine.”
Another horn blast resounded.
The Nekomata started to breathe a little easier. “Run along you terrible thing. My sisters are close. I’m starting to feel better too. You might just have me chasing after you as well.”
Tov took several backward steps away from the tree, but watched the Nekomata closely. “That’s the point, cat. You’re supposed to feel better.”
He turned around and ran into the forest. If fortune favored him, maybe he would find at least one more Nekomata village before he found open sky.
NORI’S FACE ACHED. During the scuffle on the previous day, he must have been struck several times in both cheeks. They both looked a little puffy, but at least the cream that Luxi had lent him eased a lot of the potential swelling. He waited by the front entrance and rested his new tetsubo on his shoulder. Nori couldn’t help but marvel at the intense quality of the weapon. Dark wood made up most of the war club, and dark grey iron balls had been attached to the sides. A large ring had been crafted into the hilt of the tetsubo. Every once and a while, he slowly swung the war club with one hand. His muscles tensed under its weight, but it pleasure coursed through his veins.
He had already eaten breakfast at a little café and made his way to the front entrance of the university. After twenty minutes of waiting, Apisa, Rayko, and Flara exited the university.
Rayko gave him a sideways glance. “Oh look, there he is! I’ll have you know we went to your room when you didn’t show up for breakfast. It would have been nice to have been informed that you were waiting on us.”
Apisa had been smiling when she walked out, but her smile deflated into a mixture between a frown and a look of awe. “What happened to your face? You look like you ran into the side of a building on purpose. No offense, but it looks awful.”
Flara’s eyes waivered for a moment. “Oh dear. I hope you didn’t get hurt trying to get us passage on a ship. I’m so sorry.”
Nori gave them his best smile, which made Apisa squeal with delight. “Don’t worry about this. I have some good news and some bad news.”
Rayko crossed her arms over her chest. “Why don’t you provide us with the bad news first, so that way the good news will cheer us back up?”
Nori’s grin fell away. “Oh… um it won’t really make sense if I don’t tell you the good news first.”
Flara adjusted her backpack, even though it looked perfectly fine a moment before. “So is the good news about you getting us a boat?”
Nori said, “Yes, I did. The captain promises that she’ll get us to Xian Ba within a week if we have favorable weather and no unwelcome obstacles.”
“So what’s the bad news?” Apisa asked. “By the way, that’s a nice-looking war club you got there.”
“Thank you.” Nori took a deep breath. “There are three parts to this bad news.”
Somber expressions covered each of the girls’ faces, yet they said nothing. The weight of their combined attention threatened to crush him.
“Okay, the first part is that it’s going to cost a lot of gold in order to fund this trip,” Nori said.
Flara fumbled with her fingers. “H-how much are they wanting?”
Nori swallowed hard. “Fifty thousand coins.”
“Fifty thousand?” Apisa asked. “For that much, we could buy our own boat and crew it too! This captain is swindling us. There must be someone else we can hire.”
Nori waved his hand in front of him, to accentuate his point. “No, there’s not. Apparently there’s this thing called the Great Kappa Migration …”
Suddenly all of the girls let out curiously relieved sighs.
Flara said, “Oh, that makes more sense.”
A slight pout had positioned itself on Rayko’s face. “Still, fifty thousand is inappropriate to charge us. Did they ask for all of it up front, or perhaps half now and half later? That would still present the problem of getting twenty five thousand gold coins before we set sail.”
Nori winced. “Actually, she’s going to take all fifty thousand once we get to Xian Ba.”
“Well that’s right neighborly of her,” Apisa said. “I wonder why she did that.”
Rayko’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, why indeed? Tell us, oh great provider of boats. Why did she graciously accept such a deal? She doesn’t know about Flara does she?”
When Nori averted his eyes, Apisa gasped. Flara shrank a little and stared around at the other people who passed by them either entering or exiting the University.
“I can’t believe you blabbed Flara’s secret!” Rayko kept her voice lowered, but she waved her hands about. “You’re supposed to be her bodyguard for Saitio’s sake. What kind of bodyguard are you if you can’t honor the wishes of your master?”
Apisa crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head disapprovingly. Flara stared at the ground, and her bottom lip quivered slightly.
“I had no choice,” Nori said. “When I told her that you were the daughter of a silk merchant, she wanted ten thousand up front. I didn’t know if we could have gotten that much by this morning. I did the best I could. It’s okay, because I know her secret too.”
“Do you?” Apisa asked. “And what’s her secret?”
Rayko placed her hands on her hips. Her scowl grew more intense. “Let me guess, this is the third part of the bad news.”
He let out a nervous chuckle and grabbed the tetsubo handle with both hands. Even holding its unyielding solidness failed to ease the tension of being under Rayko’s haunting gaze of disapproval. At that moment, Nori pitied any children Rayko would ever come to have.
“Captain Alfana Luxi is a …notorious wanted arms smuggler,” Nori said. “She’s talking us on her smuggler ship.”
Flara slowly looked back at Nori, and she visually cringed where she stood. “Y-you’re being serious, aren’t you? Nori, this is a bad time to show us your humorous side.”
“Well it’s either that or we wait a couple weeks for the Great Kappa Migration to end,” Nori said.
Rayko reached over and lightly punched Nori on the shoulder. “Well someone did a bang up job, that’s for sure. Next time, maybe you can book our next fantastic voyage on a slaver’s vessel.”
“Stop!” Flara said. “H-he did the best he could. Nori’s right, we can’t afford to wait even a day. We have to be on that ship. Is there anything else we should know before we make our way to the docks?”
“Yes, there is one more thing,” Nori said.
“Of course there is.” Rayko poked him in the chest. “If you get our precious Flara killed, I’ll make you suffer until your final breath.”
Nori’s jaw muscles tightened and he loomed over the smaller fashionista. His brow furrowed, but he kept his free hand open and unclenched. “This might actually be a good thing. I mentioned I was Qu-Tar, but I never mentioned who my client was. Flara is still an unknown factor in this. You’re so damned snotty, why don’t you pretend to be the person I’m serving?”
The anger in Rayko’s face melted away. “Why, that’s a fabulous idea! Good thinking, you giant ox of a man. Come along, this might not be so unbearable after all. If I’m you, does that mean I get to boss Nori around?”
Rayko’s delight caught flame, and soon, the other girls appeared less upset than before.
Flara let out a playful giggle. “I think you should have him carry your bags.”
Rayko clapped excitedly. “Oh!! Another grand idea! This day is looking up.” She practically tossed her things at h
im. “Don’t let my precious accessories touch the dirty ground, slave. I’ll have you flogged if you do.” She gave Nori a playful wink.
Nori couldn’t help but laugh a little. He strapped Rayko’s bags to his body and trailed behind Flara and Rayko as they talked about how to make Rayko the perfect stand in. Apisa walked beside him, and she kept her voice low.
“Are you doing okay?” she asked. “I mean really? I never got a chance to ask you about your nightmare. I’m sorry about that.”
Nori’s cheeks became hotter. He suddenly felt as all of his clothes had vanished and he walked naked through a crowded street.
“You don’t have to be sorry about that,” Nori said, unsure of what else to say. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” Apisa asked. “It might make you feel better.”
Nori averted his eyes and noticed the clouds in the sky. They all held the shapes of lopsided animal faces. When he looked back, Apisa still watched him as they walked behind the other two.
“You’re not going to stop staring at me until I tell you, are you?” Nori asked.
“Nope!” Apisa said with a smirk. “I can be quite determined when I want to be. You’d be surprised what lengths I’ll go to see my friends smile and feel better.”
Nori grimaced as he replayed the vile images in his head. “I just had a dream about my home. It was destroyed. Amidst the ruins of my city, I didn’t see any of the bodies. Towards the end of the dream, I found my childhood home.”
“Was it destroyed like the other places?” Apisa asked.
Nori caressed the handle of the tetsubo with his thumb. “Yeah. What’s worse is that I think I heard my mother screaming. It was the most gut-ripping sound I’ve ever heard.”
“I guess that’s why you called out to her,” Apisa said. “I’m sorry you had such a frightening experience. My granny used to say that dreams are a way of your head communicating with the rest of you while you’re sleeping. Maybe you just really miss your home.”
Nori said “Maybe. I hope Onista is alright.”
“I’m sure it is,” Apisa said. “If the Onistans are half the person you are, then they’re going to be perfect. Nothing will be able to bring them down.”
They walked silently beside one another for several blocks. Nori peered over at her. “Thank you. I really appreciate the kindness you’ve shown me.”
Apisa just grinned at him. “Of course, silly. That’s what friends are for. I’m going to join the others and see how I can help with this grand plan of yours. Don’t lag too far behind, slave.” She nudged him with her shoulder before she moved up with the others.
Like a fish diving into the river, Apisa dipped into their conversation and kept up with the other two. A uniquely hot and cold aura had grown within Nori. He watched the trio of girls as they talked. It was truly incredible to watch Flara come alive when interacting with people that she not only cared about, but who cared about her as equally. Earlier, Rayko had threatened bodily harm on behalf of her meeker companion.
Ever since he had departed from his precious mountains, he only knew the loneliness of being different. The concept of friendship seemed out of reach for someone like him, and Nori had accepted his fate. He saw himself as being a silent, unloved meat shield that would one day die a meaningless death.
Nori let his attention fall on Apisa. His heart thumped faster and harder. Could he truly hope that someone generally considered him a friend? Or was it simply a routine phrase grounded in courtesy? Would Nori be doomed to live the rest of his life companionless? Or would he finally bear witness to the magic of friendship? Nori blinked several times in rapid succession, hoping that none of the girls would notice the tears building in his eyes.
“THERE IT IS,” Nori said. “The Grinning Panda.”
He pointed to a ship nestled along the dock. The ship had a central mast with a large black sail extending off of it. A pair of smaller white sails stood at the front and back of the ship. The image of a grinning, yet intimidating panda covered bow of the ship. Compared to other ships, the Grinning Panda sat lower in the water and was a little longer than most other river vessels as well.
Sailors moved aboard the vessel. Luxi stood amidst them, shouting commands. She rested one hand on her sword hilt while she gestured with the other hand. Despite the severity of her words, she appeared quite comfortable and happy.
Flara fumbled with her fingers. “I h-hope this works. I would hate to have to stop my studies here because of everyone finding out who I really am.”
Rayko wrapped a slender arm around her. “Don’t worry, darling. This is going to work fabulously. Don’t forget, I’m the best illusionist in all of Jadai.”
“But this isn’t one of your illusions,” Flara replied.
Rayko said “Life is just one grand illusion. Who better to manipulate it than I?”
Apisa scoffed a little. “You know, I might have made a pretty fine princess.”
Rayko reached over and patted Apisa’s shoulder. “Of course you would have, darling. Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”
Nori moved ahead of them and approached the ship. Luxi walked down the gang plank and crossed her arms over her chest.
“So not only are you a fighter and a bodyguard, but you’re a porter too?” Luxi asked. “Someone’s bent over a barrel. Is your client paying you enough?”
Rayko rounded him and took a dramatic pose. “I’ll have you know, I compensate Nori very well. You must be the captain. My name is Radanashi Rayko, charmed I’m sure.”
Luxi shifted in her stance and studied the group for a moment. “So you’re his client, huh? The silk merchant’s daughter?”
“I am indeed.” Rayko traced her fingertips over her expensive outfit. “As you can see, I’m wearing Mommy dearest’s material as we speak. I do so love the feel of it on my skin.” She gestured to the girls behind her. “These two are my best friends in the entire world, Flara and Apisa. They will be accompanying me as well. I hope that isn’t a problem.”
A smug grin grew on Luxi’s face. Nori’s back twitched as soon as he saw it.
“By all means,” Luxi said. “Come on board. I hope it’s not a problem that you’ll be sleeping where my crew sleeps. We have plenty of hammock space.”
Rayko’s nostrils rose. “A hammock? What do I look like, some kind of dirty farm girl?” she glanced over at Apisa. “No offense.”
Apisa scowled back. “You say that, but hammocks are very comfortable. Still, it’s too bad that we can’t have something a little more …I don’t know, private?”
Rayko placed a hand on her chest and pouted her lip at Luxi. “What about your quarters? Can’t you give up where you’re sleeping? After all, my servant told me you know about me.”
The muscles in Nori’s jaw tightened, and he had to avert his eyes away from the dainty illusionist. The soft slapping of the water against the side of the boats distracted him for a few precious moments. Rayko was clearly enjoying this little charade.
Luxi moved right past Rayko. Nori tried to intercept her, but Luxi gently held him at bay with a hand. Her eyes locked onto one particular person.
Flara whimpered a bit and stepped back away from the approaching captain. She allowed her gaze to bounce everywhere except for Luxi. Luxi placed herself right before Flara.
“I beg your pardon,” Rayko said. “I was trying to have a conversation with you.”
Luxi waved her off. “Yeah yeah…” she beamed a little grin at Flara. “You’re awfully quiet, aren’t you? How are you feeling?”
“Oh… me?” Flara grabbed one set of fingers in her other hand and squeezed tightly. “I’m f-fine. I’m just glad I g-get to go on this trip with R-Rayko.”
Luxi crossed her arms over her chest. “I bet you are.” Her voice fell to a whisper. “Nori had me promise not to tell your secret. You can trust me, okay?”
“Her secret?” Apisa asked. “Flara doesn’t have a secret, she’s just a…�
�
Slowly, Luxi leveled her attention over to Apisa. Any sign of delight had dipped behind an I know you’re bullshitting me expression. Nori’s throat compressed a little, making breathing more difficult. Apisa’s words died on her tongue. From behind Luxi, Rayko opened her mouth to speak, but even she found it challenging to continue this failed ruse.
Luxi beamed back at Flara. “You have a good man in Nori, I hope you know that. This tough son of a bitch got in a fight with ten gruff tough sailors in order to find you ship passage.”
Flara glanced past the captain. “You d-did? Is that why you’re all bruised up?”
Nori shrugged, but remained silent.
Luxi gently took hold of Flara’s arm and gave it a soft squeeze. “You can trust me, okay? I’m the best person to get you through the pirate-infested mountains and Kappa-filled waters. Besides, with people like Nori and these other friends of yours, you’re in good hands.”
“Th-thank you for taking us on the river,” Flara said. “I know you’re expecting a h-hefty payment from my mother. I’ll arrange it. I’m sure Nori’s al-already told you how important it is that I get to Xian Ba.”
Luxi guided Flara to the gang plank. “He didn’t tell me exactly what the situation was, but he alluded to enough to make me understand that this is important.” She stopped at the base and yelled out. “Raoi!”
A young man with a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee stepped up to the rail.
Luxi said, “Clear out the secondary cargo hold and set up three hammocks in there. These ladies are going to be staying in there for the duration of our journey.” She turned to Flara. “Just wait on deck and Raoi will fetch you three when your accommodations are ready.”
“W-what about Nori?” Flara asked. “Where is he going to stay?”
“Aww, it’s sweet that you care about him. He’ll stay with the rest of my crew,” Luxi said.
Flara gave her a slight nod. “I suppose that would be fine.”
The Wrath Of the Forgotten Page 15
