The soldier, a worried look across his face, came forward and bowed. “Yes, sir?”
“I want to know as much as possible about this Ide Akio before I arrive at this party,” Suenaka said. “I don't care how you come about the information. I just want it. I want to know his family, his movements, everything. You put one of your best men on him and do it now!”
The soldier nodded, bowed and backed away to begin his task. Suenaka stared out over the balcony, his forearms resting on the stained wood. He was worried his best guards wouldn't be enough to find the information that he truly wanted.
Considering his options, he called for one of his servants. “I need to travel up to the monastery,” he told the underling. The shock on the man's face clearly showed that it was common knowledge that the monastery had been taken over by a local gang. “Go and arrange my travel with a very small company of guards. I don't want to draw too much attention.”
***
Ratnakar stood in the infirmary. Asas had been awake for a bit and was fine, physically at least, aside from a large knot on the side of his head where he had been hit.
“I truly believed that I was wrong, Ratnakar,” Asas said to the young man. “I hoped beyond everything that my visions of you returning in this fashion were false.”
Ratnakar crossed his arms and stared at the old monk. “I care not for your visions, old man. I kept you alive for one reason, and one reason only: to help take care of my people. I will continue to keep you alive here, and allow you to live in your current quarters. But, you have to stay here as our healer, period. Nothing more, nothing less.” He looked straight at Asas. “What is your decision?”
“What if I refuse?” Asas said.
“Then death it is,” Ratnakar said with a wicked smile. “However, I hope that it will not come to that.” His smile faded. “You took care of me when I was younger and I don't want anything to happen to you. Just agree to stay here to patch up my men when needed, and you can go on about your studies and your chants.”
Asas looked away from the young man at the sunlight pouring through the high windows. Part of him wanted to tell the boy that he would prefer death over serving someone like him; however, he knew that there would come a time when he could maybe put an end to the boy somehow. He couldn’t miss this chance to make up for his fault.
Without moving his eyes back to Ratnakar, Asas said, “I will stay.”
Ratnakar slapped his hands together in happiness. “Excellent!” he said. “I was hoping you would see things the right way.”
As Asas moved his eyes back toward the young man, he caught a glimpse of the tip of the black scar peeking out under his tunic. “What happened to your chest?” he asked. He'd never seen anything like that on a person before. Such a huge nasty mark.
Ratnakar's hand immediately flew to the scar and he rubbed it protectively. “It is none of your damn business!” he said. “And I am fine. Worry about yourself.” He turned and stormed out of the infirmary, tossing out over his shoulder, “You can go back to your quarters when you are able.”
He stormed past the guard stationed at the infirmary door, stomped past the men in the courtyard cleaning up bodies, and pushed his way into the largest building through its massive wooden doors. Making his way back to the ancient library and the book that had captivated his attention, he was stopped by Furi.
“I must go for a bit,” she informed him.
“Go? Go where?” he said, an angry frown coming over his face. “We just got here, we just won this place.”
“I understand that,” she said. “However, there are other things that need my attention right now.”
“Such as?”
“Such as the new shogun,” she whispered, moving slightly closer to him.
“What? There is no new shogun.”
“Oh but there is,” she said. “And unfortunately, it is our dear friend, Ide Akio.”
At the mention of his name, both fear and pure hatred exploded through his body. He could feel the rage and animosity from Tux'els deep inside him, but the fear was all his own. Any person that could make Tux'els reaction come that swift and strong was someone to be wary of.
“What is it you have to go do?” he asked her.
“I prefer that I don't tell anyone my secrets. But don't worry…” She ran her hands down her slender sides. “This is still all yours.”
He grimaced as he blushed at her little show. “That's not what I meant.”
She grinned and leaned forward to kiss him. “I shall return in ten days or less.” He closed his eyes slightly at her soft kiss, and when he opened them, she was gone.
Irritated, worried, and now wondering how in hell Akio had managed to become shogun, Ratnakar stalked to the library and did his best to slam the ancient doors shut. They made such a bang that it was heard all over the monastery. Asas heard the sound in his quarters nearby and shuddered. His precious books were now in the hands of a lawless young man. He just prayed that Ratnakar saw their value and did not destroy them.
Ratnakar sat at the huge, old desk and stared down at the book. It still lay in the same place where he and Furi had made love. For several long minutes, he sat there, gazing at the pages. When he finally reached out for the cover, there was a knock at the door that startled him, causing him to yank his hand back.
“What!” he yelled. “What do you want?”
“Uh, sir,” came Kujo's voice from the other side, “there is, ah, someone here to see you.”
“I don't care! I don't want to see anyone,” he yelled back at the door.
It opened and Kujo slipped inside. He swiftly approached the desk, not meeting Ratnakar's angry eyes at the interruption. “I think that you will want to see this man.”
“Why would I care who has come here to see me?”
“Because, sir,” Kujo said, finally looking up, “it is the daimyo Usami Suenaka – from the town below us. He says that he has a proposition for you.”
Ratnakar's eyebrows rose. Intrigued by the presence of this daimyo, he quickly told Kujo to have the man meet him in the large church where it was easy to discern any moves and have plenty of his own guards ready.
Ratnakar took the back way and pulled several men along with him. When he finally reached the church, entering through a side door, he saw the daimyo seated toward the middle, his guards posted at the back door. He thought it was odd for the ruler to have left his protection so far back, but he did the same as a show of faith. He had the dark dragon with him anyway…
Approaching the seated man, he bowed lightly. “To what do I owe this visit?” he said without respect for the normal formalities that went along with meeting with a daimyo.
Suenaka smiled, rose and bowed back. “I wanted to meet the man who had several of the gangs in town talking,” he began. “I also wanted to speak with that man about possibly hiring his services.”
Ratnakar took a seat across the aisle from Suenaka. “What types of services exactly are you interested in?”
“I need to find out information. Information about our new shogun.” He stroked his chin for a few seconds. “There is to be a small private celebration in a few days’ time, and I want to be prepared.”
Ratnakar shrugged. “And you believe I have this kind of information?” In truth, he was awed at the idea of learning all he could about his own enemy for the benefit of others' favors.
“Oh, no,” the other replied, causing Ratnakar's left eyebrow to shoot up in surprise. “But I believe you can get it.”
Ratnakar was quiet for a moment, studying his interlocutor. “What type of info is it you seek?”
Suenaka delivered such a wicked smile that it caused a slight chill up Ratnakar's back. “Oh, I need personal details,” he said, leaning forward. “Everything about his family back home, his love life, those closest to him...” His upper lip curled up, showing the white of his teeth. “Any 'secrets' he might hold. In short, anything that cou
ld be used against him for a challenge.”
Ratnakar sat still, trying not to let his face betray his true feelings. He looked to his right at the windows and the trees beyond them, considering everything for a moment. Saying no to this man might truly cost him more than he'd care to lose right now. Saying yes would force his hand before he was ready to deal with Akio, but would give him valuable intel as well. He turned back to Suenaka. “What's in it for me?”
“Well, for starters,” the daimyo said with a smile, “you get to keep this monastery that you decided to steal.” Ratnakar sat motionless at the implied threat. “But I suppose that might not be enough, would it?” Suenaka added. “Okay then, I will provide secrecy for your organization here and I'll promote you to samurai to cement your position.”
Ratnakar smiled slightly. “Is that all?” The idea of being a true legitimate samurai pleased him to the core, but he wanted to see what else he could obtain from the man. Milk the cow dry.
“I see that what I have been told about you was correct. You are truly in this for what you can gain.” Suenaka continued to stare at Ratnakar, considering what else to lay on the table for the information that he desperately wanted. “Very well then. How about I have weapons, food and gold sent up to you? Would that give you what you need to get what I need?”
Ratnakar bowed to the man. “Under those conditions, I accept,” he said and then stood up. “I'll expect the spoils by the evening.” He turned to leave.
“When can I expect my intel?” Suenaka said.
Turning halfway back, Ratnakar answered, “I'll have it for you before you leave for the celebration.” Then, he continued to walk through the chapel back to where his men waited, all the while waiting for something sharp to strike him in the back. When he finally was in the clear of the daimyo's vision, he leaned against the wall for a second. His men around him paused, worried.
“I need you to go and find me the best of you all at gathering intelligence,” he told them. “Have them come to my library immediately.” He waved a hand at them. “Go!” The men rushed off to comply with his request.
Ratnakar began to make his way back to the library but stopped at one specific place before then. He reached the beautifully ornate doors of the inner sanctum and pushed them open. Inside, Karma and Fate sat, braiding each other's hair. They both looked up at him warmly and then rose to their feet to come to him. “Girls,” he said, “I have a job for you.”
***
Plates crashed against the wall as Saru destroyed her dining dishes. “How can he marry another before our own wedding?!” she screamed at her mother, who stood by the door, dodging objects.
“Saru,” her mother began, “he is the daimyo, 'er, shogun now. He can do as he pleases.” She ducked a cup as it shattered on the windowsill next to her. “But, this is good for you,” she said. “Now you will become the wife of a shogun!”
“But I will be second! Second!” she screamed. “I am never second!”
Her mother moved carefully across the room and swiftly caught Saru's hand before the girl could throw anything else. “Then maybe you should stop acting like a spoiled child and start learning how to become first.”
Saru paused, intrigued by her mother's very chilled demeanor and words. She was instantly enthralled at what her mother had to say. “What do you mean, mother?”
“I shall teach you how to become first, how to remove others from your path,” her mother said. “However, you must stop this tantrum right this moment. Ladies of the shogun court do not act like this.”
Saru relaxed her arm and her mother let go. “I am sorry mother,” she said with a light bow. “I promise that I will do everything I can to be calm. Will you please teach me?”
Her mother smiled and nodded, hugging her daughter close. “Of course I will.” She stroked the girl's hair. “I cannot have our family dishonored by you being a second class wife.”
At the door, Uba overheard the entire conversation and a chill ran through her whole body. She knew the rumors of her mother's past, about what had happened to her father's other wife. She needed to warn Akio.
***
Deep in the ship under the new temple, Aichu felt all of the changes coming for Akio. She wished that she could leave her prison, that she could help him, guide him. But she had long lost any semblance of a body. So she reached out into the world for one who could assume this place for her.
As she searched and kept rejecting the profiles that came to her attention, she finally stumbled upon one who held the necessary skills and mindset to assist her. She made contact, carefully prodding the mind of the other. That person sensed her and stopped in their movements. Oddly, Aichu felt that this other would resist her as they seemed to push back slightly against her touch. And for a good reason…
This other had been marked by the dark dragon.
***
The countryside was so beautiful this time of year, and Furi wished that she could ever stop to enjoy it. She rode swiftly on her horse toward her destination. In her mind, images and passages from the book flooded her thoughts. Both swords, one good, one evil, were going to converge eventually. But how did she truly know which was which? She'd always believed the dark dragon was the rightful blade, that whoever wielded it was the one who would defeat evil. Yet, the book claimed the opposite and made a convincing argument for that position.
Her beautiful face wrinkled slightly with a frown. She'd never been so unsure in her entire life. Sure, her ‘occupation’ had never been one of compassion for her fellow man, and she had a lot of blood on her hands. But she had always made sure that those she sent to the other world deserved it or at the very least that their death served a higher purpose. Now, she doubted everything.
Hopefully, her meeting with the new shogun would allow her a moment to determine his character and if the fire soul was truly the devil’s tool. However, she wondered how close she would get to the shogun if she used her regular methods. Usually, it took weeks to approach a powerful person, and she did not have weeks. So, maybe she could go another route. She thought through some ideas that popped into her head about how to get near Akio. Finally, she decided, she would simply be honest and see how far that would get her in gaining an audience.
As she rode, an odd presence descended around her. She stopped her horse and looked all around, turning in circles on the beast. No one was there. No one watched her. Yet she still felt that she was not alone on the road. With goose bumps all over her body, she pushed her mount as fast as she could toward her destination.
***
Nana and Satomi sat in silence over their sake. Satomi knew that something was bothering the other woman and had heard some rumors around the town, still she wasn't going to offer them up just yet. After several long moments of watching Nana stare at her cup, Satomi could stand it no longer. “Okay, Nana,” she said, “tell me what's wrong.”
Nana looked up at her with tears in her eyes. “Why him?” she said, lightly shaking her head. “Why my son? He is not ready to be a daimyo truthfully, much less a shogun. Why would that crackpot of a shogun insist that he become the new one?” She shoved the letter from Akio over to Satomi.
The older woman read through the letter twice. “Why are you not happy for him? Why not support him in this startling position?” she asked. “This is such a great honor for your family.”
Nana was quiet once more, content to get lost into her sake. “I... I am worried for him,” she said. “He will be a marked man. There are daimyos who will want to challenge him and those who will do what they need to behind the curtain to try and take him down.”
“Yes. Those things will happen,” Satomi said. “Let’s not be naïve. But that also means that he will need you more than ever when they do.”
Nana looked up at Satomi. She nodded. “I guess you are correct there.” She looked back into her sake. “But how can I protect him? How can I make sure that he is all right?”
“Go to him,” Satomi said, leaning forward toward Nana. “You go to him and you make sure you are there for him.”
Nana wiped a tear from her eye. “Come with me Satomi,” she whispered. “I need your guidance.”
Satomi smiled. “I would be honored to come with you.”
***
Kiso lay in the arms of the woman who was quickly winning her heart. Mika, the oiran who had befriended her upon arriving in this city, was the one that Kiso couldn't stay away from. The two women lay entangled in each other's arms under sheets of red silk.
“Kiso,” Mika said quietly, stroking Kiso's hair, “I have something that you need to know.”
Kiso frowned and rose up on one elbow, looking down at Mika. “What is it, my beauty?”
“There were men here earlier. They were asking questions and... well, not doing too good a job at keeping quiet from some of my girls.”
Kiso shivered. “What types of questions?”
“They wanted to know all about Akio,” she said, “and you.”
Kiso's eyes squinted. “What were they told?”
“I am not sure what was said before I put a stop to the talking on our end,” she said. “Please do not be angry with me.”
“Why would I be angry with you if you had no idea it was happening?” Kiso said, brushing a strand of hair from Mika's face.
“I do know that the men were asking specifically about dishonorable things, Kiso,” she continued. “They want information that could be used against someone.”
Kiso raised an eyebrow. “Do they know?” She thought for a moment. “Do they come here often?”
“A couple of them come every night.” Mika grinned. “I figured you would want to see them.”
Kiso grinned back. “Yes, yes I do. I think I should like to be one of your girls for the evening. Maybe help out a newcomer to town. What do you think?”
“I think that would be a perfect idea.”
The two women got up and Mika produced a kimono for Kiso to put on. It was one of Kiso's favorites that Mika wore, a beautiful black and yellow silk garment that was befitting a princess. Mika helped her get it on and then fixed her hair and makeup. Kiso barely recognized herself in the mirror. Mika smiled widely. “Oh, Kiso,” she breathed, “you are beyond any beauty here.” Then she grimaced. “I am not sure I want these dirty men touching you.”
Samurai 2.0 - Destiny: A Harem Fantasy Adventure Page 17