“Oh, that was humor. You really should warn me next time. The hilarity is unbearable.”
“More than likely this Valhalla Java concoction debilitated your remaining brain cells, prompting you to suggest tea this morning.”
“That was me being diplomatic,” I answered. “At least Osaka castle is still standing, and we didn’t blow up Fumiko and the bankermages. I call that a win-win.”
“Speaking of which, we need to make ourselves scarce and figure out how the Kuro Hyogikai knew of our presence.”
When we reached the door, he traced a finger around the golden circle in a clockwise direction three times before knocking and waiting.
TEN
A wave of orange energy shimmered across the surface of the door. After a few seconds, a series of runes flared brightly for several seconds before fading out to a dull glow.
A woman just this side of ancient opened the door. She wore a black, flowing gown that reminded me of Quan’s robe. It was covered with subtle, violet runes that changed and shifted every few seconds. Her long, black and gray hair was pulled into a bun and the stare behind her glasses was both piercing and soft. It was the look of a warrior—ready and observant.
Monty said something in rapid Japanese, and she bowed. He returned the bow as she stepped to the side, allowing us to enter. He said something else in a dialect I couldn’t understand. She glanced momentarily at Peaches, bowed again, and walked silently away into the house.
Even though I could tell she was advanced in age, she had perfect posture and glided effortlessly across the floor. From the way she moved, I knew she was trained—a trained body needed no words to convey its experience. I noticed the small, runed dagger she used to keep her bun in place.
“Who is that?” I looked around the house. “What is this place?”
We stood in a small, foyer-like area. The interior of the space was a mix of modern and antique. The floor was covered with tatami mats, but the light fixtures were state of the art. I saw a touchpad beside the entrance to a room adjacent to the foyer. The place looked old, but the defenses were a mix of runes and modern tech.
“Kiri is the head caretaker of this estate, which is owned by the Golden Circle.”
“Isn’t this place a little large for her to manage on her own?”
“There are several staff who live on the property. The resident mage is an old friend.”
“Is this like a Golden Circle safe-house?”
“Something like that,” Monty said, removing his shoes. “This is the Repository. We can’t stay long; the defenses are strong, but I have no desire to bring the Kuro Hyogikai or the Blood Hunters to their doorstep. This location is not designed to deal with violence. Jun is a scholar and instructor, not a battle mage.”
“I don’t know, Kiri looks pretty dangerous to me.”
“She is, but her role is to keep Jun and this place safe. Getting them involved in our fight would be the height of impropriety.”
“We’re worried about being rude?”
“Yes,” Monty said. “Jun is a dear friend and mentor. Bringing our enemies to his doorstep is poor form and dangerous to him and the items placed in his care. We will stay for a short while and then vacate the premises.”
“Won’t the Council assume you would come here first?” I asked, removing my shoes when Monty gave me the mageglare. It registered at least a two on my glare-o-meter, and I quickly stepped out of my footwear before proceeding farther into the space. “It’s what I would do.”
“They would if they knew where to look,” Monty said, heading farther into the house. “This location doesn’t remain in one place for long.”
“Like the Moving Market?”
“Precisely. The runes you sensed outside allow this entire building to phase in and out of the planes automatically without needing oversight.”
“But it’s not safe?” I asked. “Doesn’t that kind of defeat the whole safe-house idea?”
“The purpose of this location is to serve as a place of training. Golden Circle mages come here to practice some of the more dangerous runes. This isn’t a stronghold, and many of the books located here are priceless. Eventually, Esti will find us—the Blood Hunters are determined.”
“What happened to the three days Uhura said we would have?”
“Ursula, and that is a good question,” Monty said. “Either she wasn’t being completely honest, or someone interfered with her circle and our teleport. Both options have the potential to be disastrous.”
“Do you think the Kuro what’s-its-name would attack here? Wouldn’t that piss off the Golden Circle?”
“It’s not them I’m concerned about,” Monty said. “I need a cuppa.”
“I could use some Deathwish, but I’ll take whatever passes for coffee here.”
“I’m sure you won’t be disappointed,” Monty said. “Kiri will notify the kitchen staff. Let’s go find Mage Manabu. He would be in the training area.”
“This mage, Manatee—”
“Manabu. His name is Junichi Manabu,” Monty answered. “Do not call him a manatee.”
“Right, this mage, Malibu, is he like Master Yat?”
“No one is like Master Yat,” Monty replied with a shake of his head. “You should know that by now.”
“It’s just that when you say ‘training area’ my brain understands the ‘inflicting of pain upon my person’.”
“This place is a mage’s training area. You will only have pain inflicted upon you if you call him anything other than Manabu.”
“Got it,” I said. “Mage Manabu it is.”
ELEVEN
Monty touched one of the panels next to a plain wall, in one of the rear rooms. The panel slid silently to the side and revealed a narrow, steep set of stairs going down. The majority of Japanese homes didn’t have basements, usually because the water table on the island was too high.
Because of that, it was too costly to dig out and seal the space required for a functional basement. Traditional Japanese homes lacked central heating, which meant there was no need for a boiler or furnace. Nonetheless, the stairs I was looking down definitely led to a basement of some kind. Small root cellars were common in Japan—full-blown basements, not so much. We stopped at the top of the stairs. Monty held out a hand, keeping me behind him.
“He’s conducting some kind of experiment,” Monty said. “Let’s give him a moment.”
I peeked my head around Monty’s hand and peered into the semi-darkness below.
“What kind of experiment requires a basement…in Japan?”
“Knowing Jun, probably the kind that could erase us if we go down there before he’s ready.”
I backed away from the stairs because the warning in Monty’s voice made me pause.
“Is that you Okoru Tatsu?” a voice called from the basement. “Please give me a few minutes.”
“What’s an okra tots?” I asked with a smirk. “Is that some kind of vegetable code?”
Monty scowled and mumbled something under his breath.
“Sorry?” I asked, knowing it was something he didn’t want to share. “I didn’t get that.”
“Okoru tatsu means angry dragon,” Monty said with a sigh. “It was a nickname I was given while I studied here.”
“Angry dragon?” I asked. “Your nickname was…angry dragon? Let me guess, because of your pleasant disposition? Or your fascinating ability to reconstruct old buildings that were in disrepair?”
“Shut it,” Monty said under his breath. “I was much younger and had not learned proper control.”
“Seriously? I’m dealing with the controlled Monty now?”
“You have no idea, trust me,” Monty said. “I learned most of my advanced rune casting”—he pointed downstairs into the darkness—“down there.”
“This basement was made because of you?”
“There were other mages learning here at the same time, you know, not just me.”
There was a thwump and the w
alls of the basement bloomed with orange runes. Whatever had just exploded was contained to the lower level beneath the house. Green smoke filled the area at the foot of the stairs, but something prevented the smoke from coming up to our level.
A figure emerged from the smoke and climbed the stairs slowly. Kiri appeared beside us silently, and nearly made me leap down the stairs when she spoke.
“Shall I arrange for the cleaners?” she asked in a quiet voice that filled the room. She turned to look at us. “Breakfast will be served shortly in the dining room.”
“The cleaners won’t be necessary, thank you,” said a short man wearing a robe with the same design as Kiri. “Breakfast sounds absolutely delicious.”
Kiri peered down at Junichi, who smiled back.
“Will the building remain intact?” Kiri answered. “Or will we need to reset the foundation—again?”
“Honestly, Kiri,” Jun replied, waving her words away. “I was conducting a small temporal experiment. There was no danger, imminent or imagined, to the structure.”
“The last ‘temporal experiment’ had me meeting younger and older versions of you,” she said with a huff. “It became tiresome after the first day, not to mention disruptive to my and the Repository’s schedule.”
“This was nothing like that,” Jun answered. “I was merely testing out the annihilation theory of encountering and interacting with a future self. It’s coming along quite nicely. I can assure you, no other versions of me will appear.”
Kiri nodded and glided away. “We shall see.”
“I see she hasn’t changed much,” Monty said, turning to face Junichi. “You look well, Master Mana—”
“Tatsu!” Junichi interrupted and grabbed Monty by the shoulders. “We’ve missed you!”
“And I you, Junichi—” Monty started.
“Let me look at you,” Junichi interrupted again, squeezing Monty’s arms and shoulders. “You’re skin and bones. Are you eating?”
I was liking Junichi more by the second. He held Monty out at arm’s length and shook his bald head in mock disapproval.
“I’m eating enough,” Monty said. “As much as I need.”
“He never ate enough,” Junichi said, looking at me. “When he did eat, it was salads, legumes, noodles, and maybe miso soup.” He turned back to Monty. “I still think you’d be happier if you ate meat every so often.” Junichi held up a finger and wagged it at Monty. “There is life in meat.”
I tried to suppress a laugh and failed. Peaches had finally found his human counterpart.
“You know very well I can’t—” Monty tried again.
“This must be Mr. Strong,” Junichi said with a smile, extending a hand palm up. It looked like he was asking for something, but he kept his hand stationary. “Welcome to the Repository.”
“Thank you. What do you keep here?” I said, extending my hand into his. “Is this like the Living Library?”
He closed his eyes as he clasped my hand with both of his. A second later, a gentle, golden light formed around our hands like a miniature sun, then disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.
“It’s similar,” Junichi answered. “If Professor Ziller can’t find a text, he comes to us. We would most certainly have it. If we don’t have it, it doesn’t exist.”
“You’re the library to the library?”
“And you are the thrice-bound chosen of Kali,” Junichi said, looking down at Peaches. “He is a beautiful specimen.”
“This is my hellhound—”
“Peaches,” Junichi finished, crouching down and softly rubbing Peaches’ head. “The wonderful and destructive hellhound you are bonded to.”
“I’m certain you are all hungry,” Junichi said, standing. “We have much to discuss, and it’s best to discuss these matters over food.”
TWELVE
The dining room was a small affair for such a large home. The oak table was low to the ground, with small cushions on each side for seating. Off to one side was a large, metal bowl filled with beef, which I assumed was for the bottomless pit of a hellhound next to me.
“Master Manabu? Can Peaches go—?”
“Please, call me Jun, and of course—please go eat, Peaches. Never a good idea to keep a hungry hellhound waiting.”
Peaches padded over slowly, in the greatest show of restraint I had ever seen from him, and proceeded to slowly eat the meat from his bowl. I looked on in awe.
“How did you do that?” I asked.
“Do what?” Jun answered with a smile.
“Get him to actually take his time eating? Usually by now he’s inhaled the meat and part of the bowl.”
“He used a time—distortion field,” Monty said, glancing at Peaches with narrowed eyes. “With a stasis component. It’s quite elegant.”
Jun gave Monty a short bow. “High praise indeed, Tatsu. Thank you.”
“Can you cause one of those time fields when we get home?” I asked, looking at Monty. “That way we can slow down the hellhound-bowl destruction. Titanium isn’t cheap, you know.”
“Your creature isn’t moving any slower in his mind,” Monty replied, “but I’m afraid a field of this complexity is beyond me, by at least two or three centuries. Jun is a Temporal Runes master.”
“It was worth a try,” I said, shaking my head as Peaches slowly ate his food. “Titanium bowls it is.”
On the table sat several trays with different kinds of food. On one tray, I saw a small bowl of steamed rice accompanied by another bowl of miso soup. Next to it, in a small dish, was a serving of natto, fermented soy beans. Beside it sat a few pieces of grilled salmon, and on the plate next to the salmon, I saw umeboshi—pickled plums.
To finish off the presentation, there were a fair amount of vegetable side dishes, some seasoned dried seaweed and a green salad. Most importantly, I noticed the large mug of steaming, black coffee sitting on one corner of the table.
All of this sat on a decorative tray, and each of us had an identical tray in front of us. The food smelled delicious, and I realized just how hungry I had been. Jun grabbed a pair of chopsticks and started eating. Monty followed his example and I reached for the coffee first, taking a slow sip of the luxurious caffeine ink. I let out a soft sigh of pleasure as Monty glanced at me before drinking from a cup of tea with a satisfied sigh of his own.
“I am pleased it meets with your approval,” Jun said, placing his chopsticks gently on the hashi-oki—the chopstick rests on the side of his tray. “We may be known for tea, but we can appreciate a good cup of coffee when the situation presents itself.”
“Jun, we have a situation,” Monty said after a few moments. “The hellhound was subjected to a disruption wave.”
“I see,” Jun said, staring at Peaches. “It’s subtle, but effective. Who cast this?”
“Fumiko of the Kuro Hyogikai,” Monty answered. “Can you undo it?”
“Not without studying the particular sequence,” Jun said, shaking his head. “She has grown in ability.”
“What does it do?” I asked. “Will this disruption wave hurt him?”
“It’s designed to neutralize your hellhound’s abilities,” Jun said. “I can cast a counter-rune that should blunt its effects. If you give me a few days, I can undo the original runes.”
“A few days?” I asked. “Will he be okay?”
He must have seen the worried expression on my face and patted my shoulder.
“I will need a few days to reverse engineer the runes. The alternative is to get the original caster to undo the casting.”
“That’s not g
oing to happen,” I said. “She didn’t seem like the type to take back a casting—at least not without violent persuasion.”
“Agreed. The Kuro Hyogikai are single-minded of purpose and stubborn to a fault,” Jun answered. “I’m sure she means well.”
Jun narrowed his eyes and stared at Peaches for close to ten seconds.
“Can you see the interlacing?” Monty asked. “She’s using him as a beacon.”
“Yes—it seems she wants to know your location at all times. I can inhibit that aspect of the cast, but the neutralizing component will take a little more to unravel.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I don’t want anything happening to him.”
“Hellhounds are very resilient creatures,” Jun answered with a smile. “Very little affects them. This casting was creative in that it used his own defenses against him. They must have been expecting you. It’s a very specific cast.”
“Does this mean he’s vulnerable to these kinds of castings?” I asked. “I thought he’d be immune to this sort of thing?”
“He is still young,” Jun said. “His defenses are still developing. Whoever taught Fumiko this sequence is quite accomplished in dealing with otherworldly beings. This type of casting will not work when he gets a little older.”
“This can be a serious problem,” Monty said. “If she tries to track us—”
“You have several problems,” Jun answered calmly. “Let’s start with the immediate and move outward from there.”
Monty nodded. “Simon’s vampire left the Dark Council and—”
“No,” Jun said. “That is not immediate, Tatsu.” He looked at me. “Simon—if I may call you Simon—what do you perceive as the immediate problem?”
I gave it some thought. Chi had left the Dark Council, and that was a choice with long-term consequences. It was true that the Council could tear itself apart, but that wasn’t going to happen overnight.
Ken, Erik, the NYTF, and other players in the city would prevent that implosion—at least initially. The Dark Council was a check and balance against greater devastation, as imperfect as it was.
Reaping Wind Page 5