by John O.
DAY 4
24
Surita Stone awoke to find herself within the firm arms of Sido Minabi. In the events that led up to what she now saw as a magical night, she had not for a moment foreseen this outcome. As planned, they had left the inn and located a small townhouse which cost a moderate amount. Surita had originally asked for the pair to take separate rooms. However, Sido had argued that it would belie their cover as a travelling couple. With apprehension, Surita had acquiesced and they had taken a strategic room that afforded them an escape, should a search party arrive.
The day had passed peacefully as the couple ate, relaxed, and shared copious information about themselves in the cozy little room. Surita had learned much about the man in such a short time; from his favorite food, to his childhood heartthrob, to the first day he killed a man. As was typical with any man born without privilege, Sido had had something of a hard life on all fronts. The fact that he still approached life with a jovial attitude despite his past made Surita find him so endearing.
When he offered to sleep on the floor, Surita couldn’t help but summon him to the bed, although she insisted that they sleep as far apart from each other as possible. In time, the irresistible attraction between them decimated whatever self control they had, resulting in the most blissful experience Surita had ever gone through. He had been delicate and rough all at the same time. The moment he was inside her, it was all Surita could do not to howl in pleasure, lest the other occupants awoke in disgust.
Sido adjusted his sleeping position, such that Surita could better feel the soft heaving of his chest and the warm sensation of his member against her backside, causing her to curl further into him. She wished for the moment to last forever.
“My love…”
She turned to see that his eyes were open, evidently stuck in the in-between phase that was typical at dawn.
“Since when did you start calling me that?” she asked with a smile.
“Since I lay with my better half… Marry me, Surita.”
Surita’s smile widened as she replied, “And what will become of us? You will return to your little town and I to the Helesp?”
“Together, we can conquer all odds, my love. Isn’t that already obvious?”
“We aren’t yet at the Helesp. Who knows what odds await us on this day.”
“Always about the mission. Let me see if I can distract you once again.” He answered as he slid his fingers through her loins. The softness caused him to harden against Surita who was now moaning with desire.
“Guide me in,” he whispered in a low, husky tone, causing Surita to oblige without hesitation. Thus began the second round of love-making in the beautiful breaking dawn.
It was time to break his fast as Maya sat before the HN, having laid down his meal as he liked. In silence, he ate slowly as he prepared his mind for the day ahead.
“This was well prepared, Maya,” he said upon finishing. “You should reward the cooks with a token if it can be afforded.”
Maya laughed and replied, “I will look into it, Lord HN. You ate much slower this time around. Perhaps the fact that you did not depart this room all through yesterday has you feeling less hungry than I would have expected.”
“You are probably right. I have a full day today so I guess it’s for the best that I’m well rested indeed.”
“Other than visiting father and mother, what else do you have planned?”
“I have a preparation session with the Head of Ceremonies concerning HN Ruki Sen’s funeral. I also have a session with the Foté Merchants’ Guild later this evening. I received word yesterday that they had accepted my offer and would be sending an emissary to meet with me at about the Twilight Hour. If time permits, I should consult with Aishe Thorne on his inauguration.”
“You shouldn’t plan too many things in one day lest you overwhelm yourself.”
Yosi smiled, “I should appoint you as my chief adviser, sister. Not to worry, I’ll be fine.”
“Provided you do not compromise our plans to visit father and mother, I suppose you may choose to do whatever you wish,” Maya replied. After a brief pause, she continued, “Yosi, thank you for not brushing my case aside. I will deliver news of Ziri’s demise to her family this morning.”
“No need to thank me. I am just fulfilling the duties of my office. Rest assured, I will root out the perpetrators. Continue to keep an eye on Loila. She’ll slip up eventually.”
“That is my hope,” Maya replied as she cleared up after him. “I’ll be on my way now.”
Yosi nodded in response before proceeding to prepare for his meeting with the Head of Ceremonies.
.
The Blue Whale sailed closer to Lionea with Set, who had been awake through the night, watching the seas from the highest deck of the ship. He was disappointed that he had not spotted Jessamine during his vigil. Tired, he had just decided to make for his cabin when he saw the man who Jessamine had referred to as her leader. He quickly approached the man and greeted him: “Good day, Sentor.”
“Good day. How may I help you?” asked the man with a confused look.
Set realized that the man before him didn’t expect to be addressed as ‘Sentor’ by a foreigner. “I wish to inquire on the whereabouts of Jessamine Sint. Have you any idea where she is?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. But allow me to understand why I should furnish you with the information you seek.”
“Quite frankly, I miss her and wish to see her.”
“That is a very strange thing to say about a person you just met. If your intentions are ignoble, then be advised to stay away from her. However, if your intentions are indeed noble, which I very much doubt, feel free to compete with the other Sentors on this ship for her affection. Who knows, she may just defy all wisdom and settle for you,” the man sneered. “So which is it, noble or ignoble?”
“That is none of your business,” replied a now enraged Set.
“What is my business is the welfare of all Sentors on this ship. Farewell, painter, I have more important things to take care of,” the Sentor walked away without a backward glance, adding to Set’s ire.
Set stormed off towards his cabin only to find Jin standing before the door. “Don’t tell me you stood watch all night. This is the second time in a row! Is something going on?”
Set regarded him and wondered if he should divulge his fears about the man with the black-starred tattoo. Figuring that he had nothing to lose, he pulled Jin inside the cabin and began.
“What I am about to tell you must remain secret, lest we spread unnecessary panic aboard this ship. Three days ago, I witnessed a man with an odd-looking tattoo standing on deck. As we painted and discussed, the man watched us intently and proceeded to send a pigeon out to an unknown recipient. Ever since, I have been thinking deeply as to where I had seen the tattoo before. No matter how much I thought, I could not recall ever seeing anyone with it. Only yesterday, I eventually figured out why it had eluded me: I have indeed seen the tattoo before, not on any man though. I saw it in a law enforcement file on the desk of an officer in Gale, whom I once served. Men of that brand belong to a group known as the Kawachi; an elite clandestine sect of organized crime which spans across all lands in this part of the world. They have been known to start wars, assassinate Kings, eliminate entire races and also engage in piracy. Yes, for a group as extensive as that, an arm within them conducts operations on the seas. It is only logical as most valuables including gold itself are transported via trade routes. It is for this reason that I believe this ship is a target. Should they approach, I need to be ready in order to salvage the situation and save the girl.”
Jin, who had been frowning while Set spoke, frowned even further at the last statement. From what he could gather, Set had taken a rather unhealthy liking to the blonde woman. Redirecting his thoughts to the more grave issue at hand, he said. “Set, don’t you think informing the men would be a wise move? Since when do we fight alone?”
“You s
ee, I cannot account for all the places the men choose to spend their time. Should any consume too much ale and loosen their tongue in the process, word would spread and the panic that would follow would cause more harm than good. Our men are always ready, Jin. So I’m not worried about their ability to rise to the challenge should there be an attack. I am only playing safe, and you must promise not to tell anyone. Promise me, Jin.”
Jin considered it for a few moments before responding, “I promise. But allow me this; I’ll go the extra mile in ensuring our men have no ale till we dock at Lionea on the morrow. We’ll need sober men in order to help defend this ship against any such attack.”
With a mischievous smile, Set replied. “Good luck with that.”
It was once again time for the Leades to train; to the others’ surprise, Sly walked in with a noticeably large box.
“Who will pair with me today?” he announced with a smile.
“It depends on what you have in that box, Sly,” Karl replied.
“Karl! I take that as a yes. What I have here is a customized weapon I created around two years ago. I believe it is well suited to my strengths.”
“Interesting. Out with it then. It’s only fair for a man to know what he faces.”
Sly opened the box and retrieved a weapon that could be best described as a foldable double-bladed scimitar. Each scimitar had a long handle made of Washiwa wood, both of which were joined at the center with an elbow-like crux to allow for folding in both directions. The interesting part about the weapon was that it could be locked open in its straightened position so that it appeared to be spear-like in length. The Leades stared in awe and wonder at a weapon they had never fought against. Each wondered about what inspired its design, for it wasn’t similar to any weapon that existed.
“Sly, this is amazing!” Tido ventured. “I have never seen anything like it.”
“Thanks Tido. It took me some time to design and craft it. Quite a beauty isn’t it?”
“It is!” three others replied simultaneously.
“I reckon we should all sit back and watch the brave Karl take on this innovation,” Rosi suggested with a mischievous look at Karl.
Rubbing his head, Karl replied, “May the goddess take me, despite my folly.” With that, he suddenly launched a forward strike in a false attempt to pierce Sly’s heart. Sly, sharp in reflexes, used the fold of his weapon to catch the sword in mid-action, after which he elongated the weapon in a twisting manner. The end result was a tipped-off-balance Karl with a neat shallow slice on the wrist. Sly back-stepped and began to spin his weapon in a horizontal manner over his head as a broad smile spread across his face.
“When I first conceived this weapon, I struggled with an appropriate name for it,” Sly began as Karl examined his wound and retreated with an expression lined with fear. “The name continued to evade me up until when the weapon had been fully created and used in mock battle against HN Yosi at the temple. In fact, it was he who gave it its name at the end of that encounter: ‘The Wind of Death’ or ‘the Wod’ as I like to refer to it. Interestingly, the Wod does not get its name from the manner in which it strikes. Instead it is from the lethal wind it generates as a result of the blades’ curvature whenever I spin it in this manner.”
Before anyone could comment, Sly bolted towards Karl and leapt into the air. With immense speed and force, he swung one end of the Wod towards Karl, forcing him to lift his sword in an attempt to parry. Blade met blade, resulting in a shower of sparks. Karl realized belatedly that the attack was only a diversion, for Sly suddenly folded the lower arm of his weapon, causing the lower blade to slice across Karl’s stomach. The flabbergasted audience gasped in wonder as to Karl’s wellbeing. Fortunately, the slice was only shallow, for Sly never intended to incapacitate his colleague in training. Moreover, it was against the rules.
“If this was a real war, Karl, you probably will be dead by now,” Sly proclaimed with a stern face, having backed-stepped again.
“I agree,” Karl replied with a half-laugh as he examined his new scar. “That weapon is sinister. Perhaps in time I’ll become used to it and figure out a way to adjust my style to counter. For now though, I’m defenseless against that raging beast you’ve got there.”
The other Leades began to clap their hands in appreciation for the scene they had just witnessed. Even Zach, who had watched with a stoic face, was now all smiles and he admired the genius before him.
“It’s a good thing Karl took the fall on our behalves,” Dan commented amidst the clapping. “At least now the rest of us can better prepare for you next time, Sly.”
“You are sorely mistaken if you think you’ve witnessed all that this weapon can do,” Sly replied with a jocular wink. He then proceeded to address his colleagues.
“When I first came to the Helesp, I got the impression that many wondered what it was that made the HN appoint me a Leade. I may have been good enough at the use of swords, bows, and every other martial weapon that all Leades must master. However, it was immediately evident that I wasn’t exceptional, therefore begging the question why one as young as I would be appointed into this elite group. The truth is, as far as I understand, the HN chose me for one primary reason: innovation. The Wod is not the only weapon I have created. It just happens to be my favorite because it suits my fighting style best. There are others that may suit you even more than they do me. The important thing is that an opportunity to learn and improve exists for us all. In the coming times when the Norwans strike, we will need to have developed diversified martial techniques that will take them by surprise. Should the coming war be averted by diplomatic means, however unlikely, the opportunity to learn is motivation enough.”
Another round of applause broke out in the training hall. The Leades were indeed excited; for many had become somewhat bored, having already achieved extraordinary feats in the existing styles of warfare with nothing more to look forward to.
“Thank you,” Karl commented, “for showing me that I can still be cut. Savor the moment, Sly. For in a few weeks, you will never have any such opportunity again.”
With an excited laugh, Sly replied, “I accept your challenge, Karl. Before you go mastering the use of some of my creations, your first task will be to learn to defend yourself well against them. It may take more than a few weeks.”
“Sly,” Zach Sen ventured, “I have never been more glad to have a new Leade on board. Later, we will work out the details of how to integrate your innovations into our training. For now, though, we need to get back to our routine. Fair enough?”
Sly nodded and proceeded to pack up his Wod and retrieve his sword for use during the rest of training.
What was worrisome, although no one else realized it, was that the Sejuits among them, Roy and Remy, were sure to divulge what could have served as an element of surprise in the imminent war.
Oracion regarded her weapons with concern. She had just practiced something she learned from the information she gathered in the Vault, and it was evident that she still had some room for improvement. Unlike during mind travel where she could make her weapons entirely invisible, the new method she hoped to employ seemed to have a slight setback.
She had discovered how to make herself invisible without having to leave her body behind. This would save her from the exhaustion of mind travel, which limited her ability to trail her prey for long. The recent target provided by the Aishe was one that was a considerable distance away, and as such, it presented the perfect opportunity to practice her newfound ability. The associated setback, unfortunately, was that her weapons seemed to reflect some light, despite her efforts to conceal them within herself. While the reflected light was not immediately visible, it appeared as an oddity that could give off some warning to an expecting party. Hence, it was a good thing that her prey this time around suspected nothing. She would take the risk, she decided.
With a sigh, Oracion proceeded to break her fast, meditating afterwards in preparation for her task. Timing was
crucial, she knew; the HN and his sister had a planned visit with her target, and no one knew how long they would stay before the coast cleared for her to act. She didn’t mind the challenge, though, for missions like these were what made her life interesting. Just then, the door opened and the Aishe emerged. Oracion was visibly surprised as she was not expecting him.
“Father! I thought you had a planned visit with your brother.”
“I did, but certain matters within his province have impeded his availability. Are you ready?”
“For the most part yes. All that remains is to time my movement effectively; it seems the target will be visited by the HN and Spyinme leader.”
“I see. Nothing happens to the HN, remember. Your focus should remain strictly on the target. We cannot afford to destabilize the nation if the HN dies.”
“Understood,” replied Oracion.
“That being said, the act needs to be as traumatic as possible. A simple stab to the heart will not suffice this time around. Make it ugly, so that the message to the HN is resoundingly clear. I expect that he will be wise enough to slow down his investigations after this.”
“Or wouldn’t it only serve to provoke him?” Oracion asked.
“It may. But even he should know that if he dies so soon after assuming the HN mantle, he would have achieved nothing in his short tenure. He will slow down, I can assure you. And that will buy us more time to execute our plans. Thank you, Ora. I hope you know that your efforts mean a lot to me.”
“I know and I am delighted to be of help. I will not fail you father.”
Satisfied, the Aishe said, “I’ll be on my way now, dear. I have other things to tend to.”
“Very well,” Oracion watched her father leave, feeling determination to make him proud.
25
Yosi and Maya arrived at the manor of the Sint province’s Aishe. A guard, who recognized Maya, greeted them as they alighted from their horses.